Hydrogen sulfide increases thermotolerance and lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is naturally produced in animal cells. Exogenous H₂S has been shown to effect physiological changes that improve the capacity of mammals to survive in otherwise lethal conditions. However, the mechanisms required for such alterations are unknown. We investigated the physiological response of Caenorhabditis elegans to H₂S to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of H₂S action. Here we show that nematodes exposed to H₂S are apparently healthy and do not exhibit phenotypes consistent with metabolic inhibition. Instead, animals exposed to H₂S are thermotolerant and long-lived. These phenotypes require SIR-2.1 activity but are genetically independent of the insulin signaling pathway, mitochondrial dysfunction, and caloric restriction. These studies suggest that SIR-2.1 activity may translate environmental change into physiological alterations that improve survival. It is interesting to consider the possibility that the mechanisms by which H₂S increases thermotolerance and lifespan in nematodes are conserved and that studies using C. elegans may help explain the beneficial effects observed in mammals exposed to H₂S.