Have worms provided UQ researchers with the answer to ageing?
Researchers at the University of Queensland have found an anti-ageing function which is in a protein deep within human cells.
Associate Professor Steven ZurynĀ andĀ Dr Michael DaiĀ at theĀ Queensland Brain InstituteĀ have discovered that a protein called ATSF-1 controls a fine balance between the creation of new mitochondria and the repair of damaged mitochondria.
Mitochondria, with their own DNA, produce energy within cells to power biological functions but the toxic by-products of this process contribute to the rate at which the cell ages.
āIn conditions of stress, when mitochondrial DNA has been damaged, the ATSF-1 protein prioritises repair which promotes cellular health and longevity,ā Dr Zuryn said.
As an analogy, Dr Zuryn likened the relationship to a race car needing a pitstop.
āATSF-1 makes the call that a pitstop is needed for the cell when mitochondria need repairs,ā he said.
āWe studied ATFS-1 in C. elegans, or roundworms and saw that enhancing its function promoted cellular health, meaning the worms became more agile for longer.
āThey didnāt live longer, but they were healthier as they aged.ā
āMitochondrial dysfunction lies at the core of many human diseases, including common age-related diseases such as dementias and Parkinsonās.
āOur finding could have exciting implications for healthy ageing and for people with inherited mitochondrial diseases.ā
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Understanding how cells promote repair is an important step towards identifying possible interventions to prevent mitochondrial damage.
āOur goal is to prolong the tissue and organ functions that typically decline during ageing by understanding how deteriorating mitochondria contribute to this process,ā Dr Dai said.
āWe may ultimately design interventions that keep mitochondrial DNA healthier for longer, improving our quality of life,ā Dr Dai said.
This research was published in Nature Cell Biology.
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