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Expression of the methionine sulfoxide reductase lost during evolution extends Drosophila lifespan in a

Byung Cheon Lee1, Hae Min Lee2, Sorah Kim2

  • 1College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea. cheonii@korea.ac.kr.

Scientific Reports
|January 19, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Restoring a lost enzyme function in fruit flies reduced oxidized amino acids and increased lifespan. This study highlights genetic and nutritional approaches for aging research and lifespan extension.

Area of Science:

  • Biogerontology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Metabolic pathways

Background:

  • Oxidized amino acids, such as methionine, accumulate with age.
  • Microorganisms can reduce methionine oxidation products using fRMsr enzyme, a function lost in animals during evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if restoring the fRMsr enzyme function in animals can mitigate aging consequences.
  • To explore the impact of fRMsr on metabolic and redox balance and lifespan.

Main Methods:

  • Ectopic expression of yeast fRMsr in Drosophila melanogaster.
  • Assessment of free methionine-R-sulfoxide (Met-R-SO) reduction.
  • Evaluation of fecundity, food consumption, starvation response, oxidative stress resistance, and lifespan.

Main Results:

  • Drosophila expressing fRMsr gained the ability to reduce free Met-R-SO.
  • fRMsr expression did not affect fecundity, food intake, or starvation response.
  • Enhanced resistance to oxidative stress and a methionine-dependent increase in lifespan were observed.

Conclusions:

  • Restoring the evolutionarily lost fRMsr function in an animal model enhances metabolic and redox functions.
  • This restoration leads to increased lifespan, suggesting potential for genetic and nutritional strategies in aging intervention.

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