Fig. 4

Inhibition of mitolysosome formation by QA induces poor healthspan in C. elegans. (A) Representative images showing the level of mitophagy in anterior head neurons at day 5 of adulthood in worms expressing mt-Rosella reporter treated with or without 5 mM QA. Scale bar, 50 μm. (B) Relative levels of neuronal mitophagosome are expressed as the GFP fluorescence intensity (n = 6 worms). (C) Relative levels of neuronal mitolysosomes are expressed as the ratio of GFP fluorescence intensity and DsRed fluorescence intensity (n = 6–8 worms). (D, E) Pharyngeal pumping at days 1, 3 and 5 of adulthood in worms treated with or without QA as indicated (D) n = 9 worms, (E) n = 13 worms. (F) Pharyngeal pumping at days 1 and 5 of adulthood in worms treated with or without 5 mM QA in the absence or presence of 50 µM UA (n > 11 worms). (G) Number of progeny at days 1, 2, 3 and 4 of adulthood in worms treated with or without 5 mM QA in the absence or presence of 50 µM UA (n = 5 worms). Data are mean ± SEM; ** p < 0.01 and *** p < 0.001 versus no treatment (control) group, ^#p < 0.05, ^##p < 0.01 and ^###p < 0.001 versus QA alone treatment group; Two-tailed unpaired t test (B, C) or two-way repeated measures ANOVA, followed by Bonferroni post-tests (D and E) or One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparisons test (F and G)