Elucidation of the regulatory basis of cell lifespan

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H02898
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38020:Applied microbiology-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Aiba Hirofumi 名古屋大学, 創薬科学研究科, 教授 (60211687)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 井原 邦夫 名古屋大学, 遺伝子実験施設, 准教授 (90223297)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 寿命 / 酵母 / 老化 / オートファジー / 硫黄

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The following results were obtained by analyzing the function of the longevity gene Ecl1 and its family genes discovered in fission yeast. (1) Sulfur depletion, which was identified as a new signal for life span extension, induces transcription of the Ecl1 gene, but also induces autophagy. (2) We found that autophagy induction by the above sulfur depletion did not occur in strains in which all Ecl family genes (ecl1, ecl2, and ecl3) were deleted. Therefore, the Ecl family genes were found to be necessary for the enhancement of autophagy by sulfur depletion.

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Free Research Field

分子微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

細胞寿命の制御機構に関する研究を行い以下の成果を得た。当研究室で過去に発見した寿命延長因子Ecl1とその誘導シグナルである硫黄枯渇との関係を解析したところ、硫黄枯渇はEcl1を発現誘導して細胞寿命を延ばすが、その際、オートファジーも誘導することが明らかとなった。さらに硫黄枯渇によるオートファジー誘導はEclファミリー遺伝子に依存することがわかった。これらの成果により、細胞寿命制御機構に関する新たな知見が蓄積した。