Analysis of short-term starvation-induced longevity via methionine metabolism

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26450119
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied biochemistry
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: HIROTA Keiko 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 助教 (00375370)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KAKO Koichiro 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 講師 (60311594)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 線虫 / 寿命 / メチオニン代謝

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Many lines of evidence suggest that various restricted dietary regimens, such as caloric restriction and short-term starvation (STS), extend individual lifespans. However, the mechanisms by which STS extends lifespan remain unclear. This study determined that STS, at the beginning of life, increased longevity by prolonging healthy conditions. However, methionine supplementation under STS conditions partially eliminated the increase in longevity, suggesting the partial need for a temporal reduction in methionine to facilitate STS-induced increases in lifespan. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying STS-induced longevity, we explored the effects of STS at the metabolite level in the methionine cycle, which implied that the metabolite changes in the methionine cycle were involved in STS-induced longevity.

Free Research Field

分子遺伝学