The Research Group for Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution focuses on 3 fields of research:

• Aging in the nematode model organism Caenorhabditis elegans
• Molecular Phylogeny of Nematodes
• Globins: diversity and function

Aging in the nematode model organism Caenorhabditis elegans

The nematode C. elegans is a well-studied model organism in the aging research field.  Both genetic and nutritional manipulations have resulted in worm populations reaching up to tenfold normal life span. At the Vanfleteren/Braeckman lab, several aspects of C. elegans aging are investigated.
1) Several signaling pathways have significant effects on aging; mutations in genes involved in these pathways may extend life span.  We focus on the Insulin/IGF-1 pathway by comparing in vivo and mitochondrial energy metabolism of wild type and Ins/IGF-1 mutants. 
2) Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have often been described as the molecular cause of aging.  The putative link between ROS and aging is studied by 1. changing the levels of defense against ROS (by mutation or overexpression of the sod-genes) and monitoring their effect on life span, 2. manipulating ROS production and 3. studying the accumulation of oxidative damage.  
3) Lowering the food intake of model organisms presents an alternative approach to influencing life span.  We have studied Dietary Restriction (DR) in C. elegans by monitoring life span, metabolic profiles and mitochondrial changes under several DR conditions, some of which are newly developed and validated in our lab.  To unravel the molecular basis of life span modulation by DR, we evaluate changes in gene expression connected with changes in nutritional status.
4) In recent years, protein turnover and autophagy have been found to be involved in life span extension through both DR and the Ins/IGF pathway.  We aim to evaluate the role of protein turnover in worms that show extended life span due to mutation or altered diet.

Molecular Phylogeny of Nematodes

Through molecular phylogeny, we aim to find the genealogical ties between organisms. DNA sequences provide numerous, potentially independent, characters that can be used to study evolutionary relationships between taxa at different taxonomic levels.  One objective is to reconstruct the evolutionary relationship between species.  Another objective is to estimate the time of divergence between two organisms since they last shared a common ancestor.  We have collaborated with various teams to reconstruct the radiation of the phylum Nematoda. Our database now contains more than 570 sequences covering plant-parasitic and free-living taxa only.  We also collaborate with other researchers of our department in implementing sequence analysis in the study of the phylogeny, taxonomy and biogeography of Odonata and various crustacean taxa, including rotifers, branchiopods, copepods and Mysidacea.  For more information, go to:
http://users.ugent.be/~avierstr/

Globins: diversity and function

Globins constitute a widespread family of respiratory proteins found in all three kingdoms of life, characterized by a structural and functional complexity. Using bioinformatical strategies, our lab has identified more than 30 putative globin genes in the genome of C. elegans, an exceptionally high globin number in a single organism of only 959 somatic cells. Currently, we investigate the function of these globins employing a wide spectrum of molecular, bioinformatical and biochemical approaches.

Website

http://www.physiology.ugent.be/

Contact information

Ghent University, Department of Biology, Research Group Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution
K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35
9000 Gent
Belgium
phone: +32 (0)9 264 52 12
fax: +32 (0)9 264 87 93