In a new study reported in Cell, investigators from the University of California, Berkeley and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland looked at several enzymes that play key roles in mitochondrial homeostasis. When mild mitochondrial stress occurs during development, there is an increase in the amount of these enzymes present. They also have an effect on gene expression that continues throughout the life of the organism. The researchers checked the levels of them in mice with different lifespans and found that the longer the lifespan of the animal, the more enzyme present.
“Two of the enzymes we discovered are highly, highly correlated with lifespan; it is the biggest genetic correlation that has ever been found for lifespan in mice, and they’re both naturally occurring variants,” said Andrew Dillin, who is a UC Berkeley professor of molecular and cell biology. “Based on what we see in worms, boosting these enzymes could reprogram your metabolism to create better health, with a possible side effect of altering lifespan.”
This is the first report of epigenetic modifiers that can affect metabolic function and longevity, although there are others that are known to affect either metabolism or lifespan. Through epigenetics, much remains to be discovered about how lifestyle and environment can have a big influence on not only our lives, but also the lives of our descendants.
Sources: Cell, Berkeley News