To prolong your life, ask for SIRT6 supplements
Biologists have found a protein whose excess prolongs the life of mice
The doubled concentration of the "longevity protein" – sirtuin in mouse cells prolonged the life of males for several months, but at the same time had no effect on females, Israeli and American biologists say in an article published in the journal Nature (Kanfi et al., The sirtuin SIRT6 regulates lifespan in male mice; a popular retelling, Sirtuin protein linked to longevity in mammals, published in Nature News – VM).
Longevity ProteinSirtuin proteins attracted wide attention of the public and scientists at the end of the last century, when signs were found that these molecules affect the life expectancy of humans and animals.
Since then, biologists have conducted many studies, none of which has shown whether sirtuins protect cells from aging.
A group of scientists led by Haim Cohen from Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan (Israel) compared the life expectancy of ordinary mice and rodents whose cells secreted sirtuin SIRT6 in double quantity.
In their previous work, the authors of the article noticed that mouse cells begin to secrete an increased number of molecules of this protein in the event that their daily diet was severely limited. This protein is necessary for the "repair" of DNA and the correct "reading" of genes. Mice in whose genome a "doubled" version of this gene was inserted practically did not suffer from obesity and metabolic disorders.
Cohen and his colleagues raised several populations of mice with an additional copy of the gene and wild rodents whose ancestors were recognized as "long-lived" by the scientific community. Biologists did not interfere in the lives of their wards until death – all rodents lived in their usual conditions and had free access to food and water. When one of the rodents died of old age, the researchers recorded the date of his death and collected tissue and blood samples.
The secret of the mice-"aksakals"It turned out that the increased content of sirtuin in the body cells prolonged the life of males from those rodent populations in whose genome an additional SIRT6 gene was inserted.
According to biologists, the average life expectancy of transgenic mice increased by 10-17% compared to rodents from "wild" populations. At the same time, the lifespan of the females did not change – transgenic animals died at about the same rate as their wild relatives.
Cohen and his colleagues tried to discover which genes SIRT6 could affect. Scientists analyzed the contents of the cells of transgenic and ordinary males and identified 11 genes whose work changes with an increase in the concentration of sirtuin.
The greatest changes occurred in the key metabolic system of the body, which is controlled by genes from the family of insulin growth factors (IGF1). Apparently, the restructuring of the energy storage system in the adipose tissues of males gave them additional months of life.
According to scientists, their study provided a good argument in favor of the fact that sirtuins affect the longevity of mammals. According to them, "manipulating the concentration of SIRT6 in human cells may become one of the treatment options for senile diseases."
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24.02.2012