A virus-acquired host cytokine controls systemic aging by antagonizing apoptosis

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and molecular biology
• Investigating the systemic regulation of aging and tissue degeneration.

Background:

• Aging leads to tissue degeneration, but the systemic connections between aging tissues are not well understood.
• Identifying factors that influence aging across different tissues is crucial for understanding the aging process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify secreted factors from a specific tissue that impact aging in distal tissues.
• To elucidate the role of these factors in coordinating systemic aging and lifespan.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a muscle-specific DNA damage model in Drosophila (fruit flies).
• Investigated the function of a newly identified cytokine, Diedel, in muscle and adipose tissues.
• Assessed Diedel's impact on intestinal tissue degeneration, stem cell homeostasis, and lifespan.
• Examined Diedel's role as an inhibitor of apoptosis and its viral homologs.

Main Results:

• Discovered Diedel, a cytokine secreted from muscle or adipose tissue, that attenuates age-related intestinal degeneration.
• Diedel promotes stem cell proliferative homeostasis, limiting tissue degeneration and regulating lifespan.
• Diedel functions as an inhibitor of apoptosis, acting as a systemic rheostat to modulate cell death during aging.
• Identified secreted Diedel homologs in viruses, suggesting evolutionary links.

Conclusions:

• Secreted factors, like Diedel, play a critical role in the systemic coordination of tissue aging.
• Diedel is a key regulator of tissue homeostasis and lifespan, acting by inhibiting apoptosis.
• Understanding Diedel's mechanisms offers insights into cellular aging and viral-host interactions.