János Barna

Abstract Cells can be exposed to many different stimuli that induce a variety of stresses, such as oxidative stress and proteotoxic stress of the cytoplasm, endoplasmic reticulum or mitochondria. These types of stresses trigger conserved molecular pathways (e.g., heat shock response, unfolded protein response, and autophagy) that can restore cellular homeostasis.

Autophagy is a tightly regulated catabolic process essential for cellular homeostasis, stress adaptation, and regeneration. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, with its short lifespan, transparent body, and well-defined genetics, the process can be investigated at tissue- and age-specific manner, making it an excellent model to study the connection between autophagy and longevity.

Abstract Mobility of transposable elements (TEs) frequently leads to insertional mutations in functional DNA regions. In the potentially immortal germline, TEs are effectively suppressed by the Piwi-piRNA pathway. However, in the genomes of ageing somatic cells lacking the effects of the pathway, TEs become increasingly mobile during the adult lifespan, and their activity is associated with genomic instability.