Project description:The impact of chronic caloric restriction (CR) on health and survival in model organisms is complex and its underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Genetic background, sex, degree of CR and diet composition are expected modifiers of survival outcomes of this intervention. A recent study in mice addressed the impact of diet composition and feeding patterns used in nonhuman primates. It was found that, while diet composition alone did not impact longevity, fasting and calories were determinant for increased survival. We use here a combined physiological, multi-omics (transcriptomics-metabolomics), and integrated pathway analyses to gain insight into core and specific pathways associated with liver healthspan and lifespan. Main findings show that liver longevity pathways associated with CR predominantly correspond to detoxification, molecular turnover-repair-maintenance, and energy supply processes. Differential responses on lifespan extension provided by the different feeding strategies unveiled a distinct pattern of longevity pathways that centered around amino acid, fatty acid and nucleic acid metabolisms. Glycine-serine-threonine metabolism was a unique metabolic hub associated with lifespan whereas short-chain fatty acids and essential PUFAs metabolism were unique to healthspan. Nonhuman primate serum metabolomics data essentially recapitulated key features in mice.
Project description:The prevention or delay of the onset of age-related diseases prolongs survival and improves quality of life while reducing the burden on the health care system. Activation of sirtuin 6 (SIRT6), an NAD+-dependent deacetylase, improves metabolism and confers protection against physiological and cognitive disturbances in old age. Here we show that MDL-800 is a specific SIRT6 activator that has health and lifespan benefits in adult mice fed a standard diet. We found extension in lifespan, delayed onset of age-related metabolic diseases, and improved general health in mice fed a standard diet after MDL-800 supplementation. Treatment with MDL-800 induced synthesis of anti-oxidation related proteins, and this rejuvenated HSCs and ISCs in aged mice. Inhibition of pro-inflammatory gene expression in both liver and muscle of MDL-800-treated animals was noted. MDL-800 lowered the level of NF-kB pathway and improved fatty acid metabolism in liver. Combined with our previous work, the current study further supports the beneficial effects of MDL-800 on health across the lifespan in mice.
Project description:The prevention or delay of the onset of age-related diseases prolongs survival and improves quality of life while reducing the burden on the health care system. Activation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), an NAD+ deacetylase, improves metabolism and confers protection against physiological and cognitive disturbances in old age. SRT1720 is a specific SIRT1 activator that has health and lifespan benefits in adult mice fed a highfat diet. We found extension in lifespan, delayed onset of age-related metabolic diseases, and improved general health in mice fed a standard diet after SRT1720 supplementation. Inhibition of pro-inflammatory gene expression both in the liver and muscle of SRT1720-treated animals was noted. SRT1720 lowered phosphorylation of NF-κB pathway regulators in vitro only when SIRT1 was functionally present. Combined with our previous work, the current study further supports the beneficial effects of SRT1720 on health across the lifespan in mice.
Project description:The prevention or delay of the onset of age-related diseases prolongs survival and improves quality of life while reducing the burden on the health care system. Activation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), an NAD+ deacetylase, improves metabolism and confers protection against physiological and cognitive disturbances in old age. SRT1720 is a specific SIRT1 activator that has health and lifespan benefits in adult mice fed a highfat diet. We found extension in lifespan, delayed onset of age-related metabolic diseases, and improved general health in mice fed a standard diet after SRT1720 supplementation. Inhibition of pro-inflammatory gene expression both in the liver and muscle of SRT1720-treated animals was noted. SRT1720 lowered phosphorylation of NF-κB pathway regulators in vitro only when SIRT1 was functionally present. Combined with our previous work, the current study further supports the beneficial effects of SRT1720 on health across the lifespan in mice. Groups of 28 week old male C57BL/6J mice were maintained on ad libitum AIN-93G SD diet, or an ad libitum AIN-93G diet supplemented with SRT1720 for the rest of their lives. SRT1720 was added at a dose of 1.33 g drug per kg of chow, formulated to provide daily doses of approximately 100 mg drug per kg bodyweight to the mice. 5 mice from each group were selected and RNA was extracted from both muscle and liver tissue using 1.0mm glass beads in a Precellys 24 Tissue Homogenizer and Qiagen RNeasy Mini Kits for Fibrous Tissue according to manufacturer's specifications. Quality and quantity of the total RNA was checked with the Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer using RNA 6000 Nano chips. RNA samples were labeled using the Illumina TotalPrep RNA Amplification Kit. In short, 0.5ug of total RNA was first converted into single-stranded cDNA with reverse transcriptase using an oligo-dT primer containing the T7 RNA polymerase promoter site and then copied to produce double-stranded cDNA molecules. The double stranded cDNA was cleaned and concentrated with the supplied columns and used in an overnight in-vitro transcription reaction where single-stranded RNA (cRNA) was generated and labeled by incorporation of biotin-16-UTP. Arrays were hybridized using a total of 0.75ug of biotin-labeled cRNA at 58 degrees C for 16 hours to Illumina's Sentrix MouseRef-8 v2 Expression BeadChips. Each BeadChip has ~24,000 well-annotated RefSeq transcripts with approximately 30-fold redundancy. The arrays were washed, blocked and the biotin labeled cRNA was detected by staining with streptavidin-Cy3. Arrays were scanned at a resolution of 0.8um using the Beadstation 500 X from Illumina and the data was extracted using the Illumina GenomeStudio software(v1.6.0). Any spots at or below the background were filtered out using an Illumina detection p value of 0.02 and above. The natural log of all remaining scores were used to find the avg and std of each array and the z-score normalization was calculated and presented below. Z-score = (raw value - avg)/std.
Project description:The actin cytoskeleton is a three-dimensional scaffold of proteins that is a regulatory, energy-consuming material with dynamic properties shaping the structure and function of the cell. The proper function of actin is required for many cellular pathways, including cell division, autophagy, chaperone function, endocytosis, and exocytosis (1–5). The breakdown of these cellular processes manifests during aging and exposure to stress, which is in part due to the breakdown of the actin cytoskeleton (5–9). However, the regulatory mechanisms involved in preservation of cytoskeletal form and function are not well understood. Here, we performed a multi-pronged, cross-organismal screen combining a whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 screen in human fibroblasts with in vivo C. elegans synthetic lethality screening. We identified the bromodomain protein, BET-1, as a key regulator promoting actin health and longevity. Interestingly, overexpression of bet-1 preserves actin health at late age and promotes lifespan and healthspan in C. elegans. These beneficial effects are through preservation of actin, downstream of the function of BET-1 as a transcriptional regulator. Together, our discovery attributes assigns a key role of BET-1 in cytoskeletal health, highlighting regulatory cellular networks promoting cytoskeletal homeostasis.
Project description:The actin cytoskeleton is a three-dimensional scaffold of proteins that is a regulatory, energy-consuming material with dynamic properties shaping the structure and function of the cell. The proper function of actin is required for many cellular pathways, including cell division, autophagy, chaperone function, endocytosis, and exocytosis (1–5). The breakdown of these cellular processes manifests during aging and exposure to stress, which is in part due to the breakdown of the actin cytoskeleton (5–9). However, the regulatory mechanisms involved in preservation of cytoskeletal form and function are not well understood. Here, we performed a multi-pronged, cross-organismal screen combining a whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 screen in human fibroblasts with in vivo C. elegans synthetic lethality screening. We identified the bromodomain protein, BET-1, as a key regulator promoting actin health and longevity. Interestingly, overexpression of bet-1 preserves actin health at late age and promotes lifespan and healthspan in C. elegans. These beneficial effects are through preservation of actin, downstream of the function of BET-1 as a transcriptional regulator. Together, our discovery attributes assigns a key role of BET-1 in cytoskeletal health, highlighting regulatory cellular networks promoting cytoskeletal homeostasis.
Project description:Elevated branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) are associated with obesity and insulin resistance. How long-term dietary BCAAs impact late-life health and lifespan is unknown. Here, we show that when dietary BCAAs are varied against a fixed, isocaloric macronutrient background, long-term exposure to high BCAA diets led to hyperphagia, obesity and reduced lifespan. These effects were not due to elevated BCAA per se or hepatic mTOR activation, but rather the shift in balance between dietary BCAAs and other AAs, notably tryptophan and threonine. Increasing the ratio of BCAAs to these AAs resulted in hyperphagia and was linked to central serotonin depletion. Preventing hyperphagia by calorie restriction or pair-feeding averted the health costs of a high BCAA diet. Our data highlight a role for amino acid quality in energy balance and show that health costs of chronic high BCAA intakes were not due to intrinsic toxicity; rather, to hyperphagia driven by AA imbalance.
Project description:Dietary protein has emerged as a key regulator of metabolic health in humans and rodents. Many of the benefits of protein restriction (PR) are mediated by reduced consumption of dietary branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; leucine, valine and isoleucine), and restriction of BCAAs is sufficient to extend healthspan and lifespan in mice. The metabolic benefits of BCAA restriction are mediated by isoleucine and valine, with isoleucine restriction being sufficient to extend lifespan in male mice. However, the effect of valine restriction on healthy aging remains unknown. In this study, we placed young C57BL/6J mice of both sexes on either control or valine restricted (Val-R) diets and followed them longitudinally as they aged. We found that Val-R-fed male and female mice displayed significantly improved glucose regulation and increased energy expenditure, coinciding with decreased body weight and adiposity. These benefits are independent of FGF21, and mTORC1, signaling pathways associated with metabolism and aging. Further, we performed transcriptomic analysis on the liver, muscle and brown adipose tissue, and found tissue- and sex-specific changes in response to Val-R. Lastly, Val-R reduces frailty and extends the median lifespan of male, but not female, mice by 19%. Our results demonstrate that Val-R improves multiple aspects of health in mice of both sexes and extends lifespan in males, and suggests that interventions that mimic Val-R may have translational potential for aging and age-related diseases.