” In conditions of tension, when mitochondrial DNA has actually been harmed, the ATSF-1 protein prioritises repair work which promotes cellular health and longevity,” Dr Zuryn said.
As an example, Dr. Zuryn compared the relationship to a race cars and truck requiring a pitstop.
” ATSF-1 makes the call that a pitstop is required for the cell when mitochondria requirement repairs,” he said.
A live C. elegans animal with mitochondria in its nerve system decorated with green and red fluorescent proteins. Credit: The authors
The Effect on C. elegans
” We studied ATFS-1 in C. elegans, or roundworms, and saw that enhancing its function promoted cellular health, meaning the worms ended up being more nimble for longer.
” They didnt live longer, but they were healthier as they aged.”
” Mitochondrial dysfunction lies at the core of numerous human diseases, consisting of common age-related diseases such as dementia and Parkinsons.
Implications for Age-Related Diseases
” Our finding might have exciting implications for healthy aging and for individuals with acquired mitochondrial diseases.”
Comprehending how cells promote repair is a crucial step towards determining possible interventions to prevent mitochondrial damage.
” Our goal is to lengthen the tissue and organ functions that normally decrease during aging by understanding how degrading mitochondria add to this process,” Dr. Dai stated.
Looking Forward
” We might eventually design interventions that keep mitochondrial DNA healthier for longer, improving our lifestyle,” Dr. Dai stated.
This research was released in the clinical journal Nature Cell Biology.
Referral: “ATFS-1 combats mitochondrial DNA damage by promoting repair over transcription” by Chuan-Yang Dai, Chai Chee Ng, Grace Ching Hung, Ina Kirmes, Laetitia A. Hughes, Yunguang Du, Christopher A. Brosnan, Arnaud Ahier, Anne Hahn, Cole M. Haynes, Oliver Rackham, Aleksandra Filipovska and Steven Zuryn, 17 July 2023, Nature Cell Biology.DOI: 10.1038/ s41556-023-01192-y.
University of Queensland researchers discovered that the protein ATFS-1 aids in cell durability by stabilizing new mitochondria development and repair work. This finding might impact our understanding of aging and diseases like dementia and Parkinsons.
Scientists at The University of Queensland have actually discovered an anti-aging function in a protein deep within human cells.
Associate Professor Steven Zuryn and Dr. Michael Dai at the Queensland Brain Institute have found that a protein called ATSF-1 controls a fine balance between the production of new mitochondria and the repair work of harmed mitochondria.
Mitochondria and Aging
Mitochondria, with their own DNA, produce energy within cells to power biological functions but the hazardous by-products of this procedure add to the rate at which the cell ages.