Extended longevity and robust early-stage development of Caenorhabditis elegans by a soil microbe, Lysinibacillus sphaericus

Abstract

Caenorhabditis elegans, originally isolated from soil, is a nematode used in various fields of biological research including host–microbe interaction. While bacterial pathogens responsible for human infections have been actively studied in C. elegans, very few bacterial species that provide beneficial effects on C. elegans have been reported. Here, we tested several bacterial soil isolates and then characterized the effects of Lysinibacillus sphaericus on C. elegans growth-related phenotypes. Worms fed with L. sphaericus lived significantly longer than those growing with typical Escherichia coli OP50. Early- and juvenile-stage growth was also highly stimulated by L. sphaericus; body size at 28 h post-hatching was > 2 times larger than OP50-fed worms and L. sphaericus-fed worms moved through the larval stage development more rapidly than control worms. In addition, significantly elevated fertilization was observed in worms fed with L. sphaericus (∼ 8 h faster than the control group). Furthermore, growth with L. sphaericus resulted in the production of larger numbers of progeny than the control growth with OP50. Worms grown with L. sphaericus were highly resistant to oxidative, osmotic and infection stresses. Together, our results reveal a novel mode of growth that involves healthy ageing of nematodes.