After ten years' exhaustive research, scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and the University of Washington have identified 238 genes that, when removed, increase the replicative lifespan of S. cerevisiae yeast cells. The results provide new genomic targets that could eventually be used to improve human health. The study was published online on October 8th in the journal Cell Metabolism, which also publishes other studies on recombinant human proteins.
"This study looks at aging in the context of the whole genome and gives us a more complete picture of what aging is," said Brian Kennedy, PhD, lead author and the Buck Institute's president and CEO. "It also sets up a framework to define the entire network that influences aging in this organism."
The Kennedy lab cooperated with Matt Kaeberlein, PhD, a professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Washington along with his team. They began the complex process of examining 4,698 yeast strains, each with a single gene deletion. In order to determine which strains yielded increased lifespan, they counted yeast cells, logging how many daughter cells a mother produced before it stopped dividing.
"We had a small needle attached to a microscope, and we used that needle to tease out the daughter cells away from the mother every time it divided and then count how many times the mother cells divides," said Dr. Kennedy. "We had several microscopes running all the time."
All the eeforts brought back a lot of important information about how different genes, and their associated pathways, modulate aging in yeast. When deleting a gene called LOS1, it came out particularly stunning results. LOS1 helps relocate transfer RNA (tRNA), which bring amino acids to ribosomes to build proteins. It is influenced by mTOR, a genetic master switch long associated with caloric restriction and increased lifespan. And LOS1 influences Gcn4, a gene that helps govern DNA damage control.
"Calorie restriction has been known to extend lifespan for a long time." said Dr. Kennedy. "The DNA damage response is linked to aging as well. LOS1 may be connecting these different processes."
The team also identified a number of the age-extending genes found in C. elegans roundworms, indicating these mechanisms are conserved in higher organisms. Many of the anti-aging pathways associated with yeast genes are maintained all the way to humans. The researchers hope this comprehensive and painstaking research can result in new therapies. Flarebio offers recombinant proteins of good quality such as recombinant colec12 at competitive prices.
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