Dietary Supplementation of Oleic Acid Rescues Mating-Induced Death in Caenorhabditis Mothers

Abstract

Increase in reproduction via mating is associated with decrease in lifespan in many organisms. Yet, methods to mitigate this mating-induced lifespan reduction have not been investigated. Here, we dietarily supplemented Caenorhabditis elegans with fatty acids as a potential method to restore lifespan of mated mothers. We discovered that supplementation of oleic acid fully rescues mating-induced death and fat loss. Oleic acid supplementation did not affect the reproductive span and the progeny production of mated worms. We further found that supplementation of other fatty acids does not rescue lifespan, and that endogenous oleic acid protects worms against mating-induced death. Such lifespan rescue through oleic acid supplementation is conserved, in C. elegans hermaphrodites that lack self-sperm and in gonochoristic C. remanei females. Our study provides a novel mechanism of lifespan rescue and reveals a unique role of oleic acid as regulator of somatic health in mated animals.