Project description:The SIRT1 deacetylase is one of the best-studied potential mediators of some of the anti-aging effects of calorie restriction (CR); but its role in CR-dependent lifespan extension has not been demonstrated. We previously found that mice lacking both copies of SIRT1 displayed a shorter median lifespan than wild type mice on an ad libitum diet. Here we report that median lifespan extension in CR heterozygote SIRT1+/- mice was identical (51%) to that observed in wild type mice but SIRT1+/- mice displayed a higher frequency of some certain pathologies. Although larger studies in different genetic backgrounds are necessary , these results provide strong initial evidence for the requirement of SIRT1 for the anti-aging effects of CR, but suggest that its high expression is not required for CR-induced lifespan extension. Key words: SIRT1, caloric restriction, lifespan, anti-aging 2-5 month old male mice of 3 different genotypes (SIRT1+/+, SIRT1+/-, and SIRT1-/-) that had normal, reduced or no expression of SIRT1 were treated with either a 40% caloric restricted diet (CR) or an ad libitum diet (AL). 2-4 replicates of each experimental condition were used in the analysis.
Project description:The SIRT1 deacetylase is one of the best-studied potential mediators of some of the anti-aging effects of calorie restriction (CR); but its role in CR-dependent lifespan extension has not been demonstrated. We previously found that mice lacking both copies of SIRT1 displayed a shorter median lifespan than wild type mice on an ad libitum diet. Here we report that median lifespan extension in CR heterozygote SIRT1+/- mice was identical (51%) to that observed in wild type mice but SIRT1+/- mice displayed a higher frequency of some certain pathologies. Although larger studies in different genetic backgrounds are necessary , these results provide strong initial evidence for the requirement of SIRT1 for the anti-aging effects of CR, but suggest that its high expression is not required for CR-induced lifespan extension. Key words: SIRT1, caloric restriction, lifespan, anti-aging
Project description:Sirt6 is a multifunctional enzyme that regulates diverse cellular processes such as metabolism, DNA repair, and aging. Overexpressing Sirt6 extends lifespan in mice, but the underlying cellular mechanisms are unclear. Drosophila melanogaster are an excellent model to study genetic regulation of lifespan; however, despite extensive study in mammals, very little is known about Sirt6 function in flies. Here, we characterized the Drosophila ortholog of Sirt6, dSirt6, and examined its role in regulating longevity. dSirt6 is a nuclear and chromatin-associated protein with NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase activity. dSirt6 overexpression in flies produces robust lifespan extension in both sexes, while reducing dSirt6 levels shortens lifespan. dSirt6 OE flies have normal food consumption and fertility, but increased resistance to oxidative stress and reduced protein synthesis rates. Transcriptomic analyses reveal that dSirt6 OE reduces expression of genes involved in ribosome biogenesis, including many dMyc target genes. dSirt6 OE partially rescues many effects of dMyc OE, including increased nuclear size, up-regulation of ribosome biogenesis genes, and lifespan shortening. Lastly, dMyc haploinsufficiency does not convey additional lifespan extension to dSirt6 OE flies, suggesting dSirt6 OE is upstream of dMyc in regulating lifespan. Our results provide new insight into the mechanisms by which Sirt6 overexpression leads to longer lifespan.
Project description:Dietary restriction (DR) has been shown to increase lifespan in organisms ranging from yeast to mammals. This suggests that the underlying mechanisms may be evolutionarily conserved. Indeed, upstream signalling pathways, such as TOR, are strongly linked to DR-induced longevity in various organisms. However, the downstream effector proteins that ultimately mediate lifespan extension are less clear. To shed light on this, we used a proteomic approach on budding yeast. Our reasoning was that analysis of proteome-wide changes in response to DR might enable the identification of proteins that mediate its physiological effects, including lifespan extension. Of over 2500 proteins we identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, 183 were significantly altered in expression by at least 3-fold in response to DR. Most of these proteins were mitochondrial and/or had clear links to respiration and metabolism. Indeed, direct analysis of oxygen consumption confirmed that mitochondrial respiration was increased several-fold in response to DR. In addition, several key proteins involved in mating, including Ste2 and Ste6, were downregulated by DR. Consistent with this, shmoo formation in response to α-factor pheromone was reduced by DR, thus confirming the inhibitory effect of DR on yeast mating. Finally, we found that Hsp26, a member of the conserved small heat shock protein (sHSP) family, was upregulated by DR and that overexpression of Hsp26 extends yeast replicative lifespan. As overexpression of sHSPs in C. elegans and Drosophila has previously been shown to extend lifespan, our data on yeast Hsp26 suggest that sHSPs may be universally conserved effectors of longevity.
Project description:Hormesis occurs when a low level stress elicits adaptive beneficial responses that protect against subsequent exposure to severe stress. Recent findings suggest that mild oxidative and thermal stress can extend lifespan by hormetic mechanisms. Here we show that the botanical pesticide plumbagin, while toxic to C. elegans nematodes at high doses, extends lifespan at low doses. Because plumbagin is a naphthoquinone that generates free radicals in vivo, we investigated whether it extends lifespan by activating an adaptive cellular stress response pathway. Mammalian NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its C. elegans ortholog SKN-1, mediate protective responses to oxidative stress by promoting target gene expression via antioxidant response elements (ARE). Genetic analyses showed that skn-1 mediates plumbagin’s lifespan-extending effect in C. elegans. Further screening of a series of plumbagin analogs identified three additional naphthoquinones that could induce SKN-1 targets in C. elegans. Naphthazarin showed skn-1-dependent lifespan extension, over an extended dose range compared to plumbagin, while the other naphthoquinones, oxoline and menadione, had differing effects on C. elegans survival and failed to activate ARE reporter expression in cultured mammalian cells. Our findings reveal the potential for low doses of naturally occurring naphthoquinones to extend lifespan by engaging a specific adaptive cellular stress response pathway.
Project description:Reducing protein synthesis slows growth and development but can increase adult lifespan. We demonstrate that knock-down of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G (eIF4G), which is down-regulated during starvation, results in differential translation of genes important for growth and longevity in C. elegans. Genome-wide mRNA translation state analysis showed that inhibition of IFG-1, the C. elegans ortholog of eIF4G, results in a relative increase in ribosomal loading and translation of stress response genes. Some of these genes are required for lifespan extension when IFG-1 is inhibited and are new determinants of longevity. Furthermore, enhanced ribosomal loading of certain mRNAs upon IFG-1 inhibition was correlated with increased mRNA length. This association was supported by changes in the proteome assayed via quantitative mass spectrometry. Our results support a role for IFG-1 in mediating the antagonistic effects on growth and somatic maintenance by modulating translation of a specific class of mRNA based on transcript length.
Project description:Reducing protein synthesis slows growth and development but can increase adult lifespan. We demonstrate that knock-down of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G (eIF4G), which is down-regulated during starvation, results in differential translation of genes important for growth and longevity in C. elegans. Genome-wide mRNA translation state analysis showed that inhibition of IFG-1, the C. elegans ortholog of eIF4G, results in a relative increase in ribosomal loading and translation of stress response genes. Some of these genes are required for lifespan extension when IFG-1 is inhibited and are new determinants of longevity. Furthermore, enhanced ribosomal loading of certain mRNAs upon IFG-1 inhibition was correlated with increased mRNA length. This association was supported by changes in the proteome assayed via quantitative mass spectrometry. Our results support a role for IFG-1 in mediating the antagonistic effects on growth and somatic maintenance by modulating translation of a specific class of mRNA based on transcript length. 24 experimental samples were analyzed using custom oligo microarrays. A wild type sample pool was used as the Cy3 reference/control for all experimetal samples. All extracted RNA prior to array analysis was fractioned (via a sucrose gradient) based on ribosomal loading and pooled into ribosomal and free RNA (Fraction1), light polysomes (Fraction2) and heavy polysomes (Fraction3) as described in the experimental procedures. The control RNAi is ‘empty’ vector L4440 RNAi feeding vector plasmid (1999 Firelab vector kit) transformed HT115(DE3), which was obtained from the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (University of Wisconsin).
Project description:Ribosome profiling — RNase footprinting of ribosome-bound mRNA — has been a unique and powerful method, applied to widespread organisms to survey ribosome traversal along mRNAs. In contrast to eukaryotes, bacterial ribosome footprints show a broad range of sizes, reflecting the differential states of ribosomes. However, the origin remains unclear. Here, we show that rotated state of ribosomes and intramolecular RNA duplexes each extend bacterial ribosome footprints at the 5′ end. Combining elongation inhibitors, cryo-electron microscopy, and ribosome profiling, we demonstrated that the rotated state of ribosomes results in long footprints. Along the subunit rotation, ribosomal protein S1 — a 30S-subunit RNA-binding protein — sterically protects mRNA at the 5′ end of the ribosome from RNase digestion and facilitates elongation of the ribosome. Moreover, we found that ribosomes stalled on ycbZ mRNA generate prolonged footprints because of their unique RNA secondary structure proximal to ribosomes. Through the studies of footprint extension, our results revealed S1-mediated stabilization of translation elongation and provide ribosome profiling approach to probe the conformational diversity of ribosomes in bacteria.