S3QELs protect against diet-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction.

The underlying causes of aging remain elusive, but may include decreased intestinal homeostasis followed by disruption of the intestinal barrier, which can be mimicked by nutrient-rich diets. S3QELs are small-molecule suppressors of site IIIQo electron leak; they suppress superoxide generation at complex III of the mitochondrial electron transport chain without inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation. Here we show that feeding different S3QELs to Drosophila on a high-nutrient diet protects against greater intestinal permeability, greater enterocyte apoptotic cell number, and shorter median lifespan. Hif-1α knockdown in enterocytes also protects, and blunts any further protection by S3QELs. Feeding S3QELs to mice on a high-fat diet also protects against the diet-induced increase in intestinal permeability. Our results demonstrate by inference of S3QEL use that superoxide produced by complex III in enterocytes contributes to diet-induced intestinal barrier disruption in both flies and mice.

Musashi expression in intestinal stem cells attenuates radiation-induced decline in intestinal permeability and survival in Drosophila.

Exposure to genotoxic stress by environmental agents or treatments, such as radiation therapy, can diminish healthspan and accelerate aging. We have developed a Drosophila melanogaster model to study the molecular effects of radiation-induced damage and repair. Utilizing a quantitative intestinal permeability assay, we performed an unbiased GWAS screen (using 156 strains from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel) to search for natural genetic variants that regulate radiation-induced gut permeability in adult D. melanogaster. From this screen, we identified an RNA binding protein, Musashi (msi), as one of the possible genes associated with changes in intestinal permeability upon radiation. The overexpression of msi promoted intestinal stem cell proliferation, which increased survival after irradiation and rescued radiation-induced intestinal permeability. In summary, we have established D. melanogaster as an expedient model system to study the effects of radiation-induced damage to the intestine in adults and have identified msi as a potential therapeutic target.