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Updated: Mar 8, 2026
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Measuring Replicative Life Span in the Budding Yeast
Published on: June 25, 2009
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An aging-independent replicative lifespan in a symmetrically dividing eukaryote
Eric C Spivey1,2, Stephen K Jones1,2, James R Rybarski1
1Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, United States.
Elife
|February 1, 2017
Summary
Fission yeast cells do not exhibit cellular aging, even after extensive divisions. Interventions can extend replicative lifespan (RLS) independently of aging mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Aging Research
- Genetics
Background:
- Replicative lifespan (RLS) studies typically use budding yeast, limiting understanding of aging in symmetrically dividing cells.
- Mechanisms of cellular aging are primarily studied through RLS, with limited data on symmetrically dividing eukaryotes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a high-throughput method for studying RLS in fission yeast.
- To investigate cellular aging and longevity in symmetrically dividing eukaryotic cells.
Main Methods:
- Development of a multiplexed fission yeast lifespan micro-dissector (multFYLM).
- High-throughput, automated single-cell micro-dissection and image processing.
- Quantitative modeling to analyze cell division and death data.
Main Results:
- Fission yeast cells replicated continuously for over seventy-five generations using multFYLM.
- Cells died without typical aging hallmarks like changes in size, doubling time, or sibling health.
- Genetic perturbations and drugs extended RLS through an aging-independent mechanism.
Conclusions:
- Fission yeast does not appear to age.
- Cellular aging and replicative lifespan can be uncoupled in eukaryotic cells.
- The multFYLM provides a novel tool for high-throughput RLS studies in fission yeast.
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