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Quantifying Tissue-Specific Proteostatic Decline in Caenorhabditis elegans
09:18

Quantifying Tissue-Specific Proteostatic Decline in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Conserved and tissue-specific genic and physiologic responses to caloric restriction and altered IGFI signaling in

Stephen R Spindler1, Joseph M Dhahbi

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA. spindler@ucr.edu

Annual Review of Nutrition
|April 13, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Caloric restriction (CR) and reduced insulin signaling slow aging and extend lifespan. These effects, including anticancer benefits, stem from metabolic roles of tissues and can be rapidly induced even when CR starts later in life.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Metabolic signaling
  • Cancer biology

Background:

  • Caloric restriction (CR) and reduced insulin/IGF-I signaling are known to delay aging and extend lifespan in model organisms.
  • The precise mechanisms underlying these longevity and anticancer effects are still being investigated.
  • The role of metabolic energy storage in tissues may be linked to these benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and present evidence linking CR, disrupted insulin/IGF-I signaling, and anticancer effects.
  • To explore the evolutionary basis of these benefits as a byproduct of tissue metabolic roles.
  • To examine the impact of late-life CR initiation on longevity and anticancer effects.

Main Methods:

  • Review of microarray and biochemical studies.
  • Analysis of physiological changes associated with CR and altered signaling pathways.
  • Examination of cellular processes like apoptosis, autophagy, and protein turnover.

Main Results:

  • CR and reduced insulin/IGF-I signaling exhibit potent anticancer effects, potentially evolved from the metabolic role of mitotic tissues.
  • Longevity benefits of CR are attributed to cycles of cell death and repair in different tissue types.
  • CR initiated late in life can rapidly confer many benefits of lifelong CR, including anticancer effects, in both mitotic and postmitotic tissues.

Conclusions:

  • The longevity and anticancer effects of CR are intertwined with the metabolic functions of tissues and cellular repair mechanisms.
  • Late-life initiation of CR can effectively recapitulate the benefits of lifelong CR, highlighting its therapeutic potential.
  • Understanding these pathways offers insights into aging, cancer prevention, and therapeutic interventions.

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