Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase maintains neuronal homeostasis during normalCaenorhabditis elegansaging and systemically regulates longevity from serotonergic and GABAergic neurons

Aging and the age-associated decline of the proteome is determined in part through neuronal control of evolutionarily conserved transcriptional effectors, which safeguard homeostasis under fluctuating metabolic and stress conditions by regulating an expansive proteostatic network. We have discovered theCaenorhabditis eleganshomeodomain-interactingproteinkinase (HPK-1) acts as a key transcriptional effector to preserve neuronal integrity, function, and proteostasis during aging. Loss ofhpk-1results in drastic dysregulation in expression of neuronal genes, including genes associated with neuronal aging. During normal aginghpk-1expression increases throughout the nervous system more broadly than any other kinase. Within the aging nervous system,hpk-1is co-expressed with key longevity transcription factors, includingdaf-16(FOXO),hlh-30(TFEB),skn-1(Nrf2), andhif-1, which suggestshpk-1expression mitigates natural age-associated physiological decline. Consistently, pan-neuronal overexpression ofhpk-1extends longevity, preserves proteostasis both within and outside of the nervous system, and improves stress resistance. Neuronal HPK-1 improves proteostasis through kinase activity. HPK-1 functions cell non-autonomously within serotonergic and GABAergic neurons to improve proteostasis in distal tissues by specifically regulating distinct components of the proteostatic network. Increased serotonergic HPK-1 enhances the heat shock response and survival to acute stress. In contrast, GABAergic HPK-1 induces basal autophagy and extends longevity. Our work establisheshpk-1as a key neuronal transcriptional regulator critical for preservation of neuronal function during aging. Further, these data provide novel insight as to how the nervous system partitions acute and chronic adaptive response pathways to delay aging by maintaining organismal homeostasis.