New "longevity gene" found in Amish
Mutation helps Amish live longer
Scientists from the USA and Japan have discovered a mutation in the Amish community that prolongs life, lowers insulin levels and has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system.
The Amish are a branch of Protestantism whose members live in closed communities in the United States. Since all Amish come from a small number of founders and do not mix with people outside their communities, they are of interest for biological and medical research.
Scientists used the Amish community to find out how a plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (IAP-1) affects a person. It is a protein that is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. In addition, IAP-1 is associated with a decrease in the length of telomeres – the end sections of chromosomes that allow cells to divide freely. With each division, the telomeres become shorter, and eventually the cell stops dividing. Shortening of telomeres is considered one of the causes of aging and death. Previous studies in mice have shown that suppression of the IAP-1 protein slows down telomere reduction and prolongs the life span of animals.
The relationship between the work of IAP-1 and the life span of a person has not been clarified before, but scientists took advantage of the fact that the Amish had previously found a mutation in the SERPINE1 gene encoding IAP-1, because of which the protein is not synthesized. Scientists were able to compare those Amish who have a mutation (and IAP-1, respectively, no) with those who do not have a mutation (which means that the protein is produced).
For the experiment, scientists used data from 177 residents of the Amish community in Bern, Indiana. Out of 177 people, 43 people had a mutation in the SERPINE1 gene. It turned out that people with the mutation have longer telomeres on average, and in general, such residents of the community are healthier: their cardiovascular system is in better condition, the level of insulin in the blood is almost 30% lower, there are fewer diabetics among them, and the average life expectancy is 10 years longer.
Scientists write that research is needed to better show how IAP-1 is associated with age-related diseases, heart and vascular conditions, the development of diabetes and the difference in life expectancy in different people.
The study is described in the journal Science Advances (Khan et al., A null mutation in SERPINE1 protects against biological aging in humans).
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