Anti-aging effect of recombinant Morchella eximia immunomodulatory protein on Caenorhabditis elegans

A fungal immunomodulatory protein (FIP) (MeIMP) was discovered in edible mushroom Morchella eximia. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that MeIMP possesses cerato-platanin domains. Phylogenetic analysis positioned MeIMP within a distinct branch of the FIP family. The MeIMP gene was cloned and expressed in the Rosetta (DE3) strain. The anti-aging effect of recombinant MeIMP (rMeIMP) was evaluated by several indicators of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The results indicated that rMeIMP significantly prolonged the lifespan of C. elegans, enhanced their motility ability, and diminished lipofuscin accumulation, while not affecting reproductive ability. Under UV, high temperature, and hydrogen peroxide stress, rMeIMP also significantly prolonged survival times of C. elegans. Additionally, rMeIMP extended the lifespan of C. elegans by scavenging ROS to mitigate the detrimental effects of oxidative stress. The establishment of a prokaryotic expression system for MeIMP and the assessment of rMeIMP function provided valuable insights for the further development and utilization of MeIMP.