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Fewer mistakes in protein synthesis extends lifespan in simple microbes

Interestingly, rapamycin (and other drugs) also improves accuracy of protein production

14-Sep-2021

Key points from article :

Reducing naturally occurring errors in protein synthesis improves both health and lifespan.

"Mistakes in proteins are much more frequent than DNA mutations," - Ivana Bjedov, lead author.

Scientists investigated a mutation, RPS23 K60R, in the ribosomes of hyperthermophilic Archaea.

Engineered a ribosome with identical mutation and replicated its effect on protein synthesis in yeast, worms and fruit flies.

Organisms' proteins had fewer errors, as a result, became heat resistant and lived longer.

Rapamycin, torin and trametinib, known as anti-ageing drugs, can also reduce mistakes in proteins.

Cell's ability to sense nutrients can have a similar effect as calorie restriction, a known pro-longevity treatment.

"We expect our results to be extended to mammals, which could potentially lead to treatments for improved health in the elderly," - Filipe Cabreiro, Co-corresponding author .

Study by UCL and MRC published in Cell Metabolism.

Mentioned in this article:

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Cell Metabolism

Scientific Journal providing information from many different areas of metabolism.

Filipe Cabreiro

Principal Investigator at Imperial College London.

Ivana Bjedov

Senior Research Fellow at UCL Cancer Institute

Medical Research Council UK (MRC)

Organization funding medical research in the UK.

University College London (UCL)

Diverse global community of world-class academics, students, industry links, external partners, and alumni

Topics mentioned on this page:
Ageing Research