Caloric restriction and autophagy in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Autophagy is a catabolic process in which long-lived proteins and organelles are degraded for recycling in the cytoplasm. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans autophagy is associated with formation of the dauer larva, an alternative developmental stage that worms can enter under poor growth conditions. We have shown that C. elegans mutants that experience caloric restriction because they are feeding-defective also exhibit elevated autophagy and decreased levels of fat deposits, as well as smaller cells and, consequently, a smaller body size. Our results suggest novel relationships between caloric restriction, longevity, body size and autophagy.