Proteins and longevity
Biologists have developed a molecular method of prolonging life
British scientists for the first time proved a direct link between the number of errors in the structure of proteins and longevity, and in experiments on simple model organisms demonstrated that reducing natural errors in protein synthesis improves health and increases life expectancy. The results of the study are published in the journal Cell Metabolism (Martinez-Miguel et al., Increased fidelity of protein synthesis extends lifespan).
It is known that DNA mutations can cause cancer and are considered one of the main causes of aging. Random changes in the structure of proteins also affect the health of the body no less.
"But errors in proteins are usually neglected, despite the fact that errors that appear during the synthesis of new proteins are much more common than mutations that occur during DNA replication," the words of the project leader Dr. Ivana Bjedov are quoted in a press release from University College London (UCL).
Researchers from the UCL Cancer Institute and the London Institute of Medical Sciences, studying errors in the structure of proteins, decided to check how the reduction in the number of such errors will affect the health and lifespan of organisms.
In previous experiments on hyperthermophilic archaea – unicellular organisms that can live at extremely high temperatures – the authors found that a certain mutation in the ribosomes of archaea – the organelles responsible for protein synthesis – increases the accuracy of protein synthesis. Using genomic editing techniques, the researchers reproduced this "ultra-precise" mutation, known as RPS23 K60R, in the ribosomes of eukaryotes – yeast, worms and fruit flies.
It turned out that as a result of this mutation, which produces a change in just one amino acid, there were fewer errors in the proteins of organisms, and as a result, organisms received increased heat resistance and lived longer.
"The process of creating proteins is not infallible, ribosomes periodically make mistakes," explains the first author of the article, Dr. Victoria Eugenia Martinez–Miguel from the UCL Cancer Institute. "We have shown for the first time that replacing one amino acid in the ribosome decoding center reduces the number of errors in protein synthesis, improves stress resistance and increases the lifespan of organisms."
"This is the first study on multicellular animals that has shown that fewer errors in proteins can prolong health and longevity. We expect that our results on yeast, worms and flies will be extended to mammals, which could potentially lead to the emergence of methods to improve the health of older people," says another author of the study, Professor Filipe Cabreiro from the London Institute of Medical Sciences.
The authors also found that some anti-aging medications help reduce the number of errors in proteins. These drugs affect the ability of cells to absorb nutrients and, when used in small quantities, have the same effect as calorie restriction – a well-known method of combating aging. Researchers believe that an approach aimed at reducing the number of errors associated with proteins can become a unifying technique that enhances the effect of various anti-aging drugs.
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