Key points from article :
Scientists discovered that the protein ubiquitin plays an important role in the regulation of the aging process.
Analysed ubiquitin signatures during aging in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Discovered new regulators of lifespan and provide a data set that helps to understand aging and longevity.
“Aging leads to changes in the ubiquitination of proteins in the cell, whereas longevity measures prevent these changes,” - Seda Koyuncu, lead author.
Enzymes that remove ubiquitin from proteins become more active during aging.
Two proteins (IFB-2 and EPS-8) lacked ubiquitin labeling during aging and these affect longevity in a variety of tissues.
“Reducing the levels of untagged proteins prolong longevity, while preventing their degradation shortened lifespan,” - Koyuncu.
Defining changes in the ubiquitin-modified proteome can lead to the discovery of new regulators of lifespan and aging traits.
Study by University of Cologne published in Nature.
