Surviving in the cold: yeast mutants with extended hibernating lifespan are oxidant sensitive.
Metabolic activity generates oxidizing molecules throughout life, but it is still debated if the resulting damage of macromolecules is a causality, or consequence, of the aging process. This problem demands for studying growth- and longevity phenotypes separately. Here, we assayed a complete collection of haploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae knock-out strains for their capacity to endure long periods at low metabolic rates. Deletion of 93 genes, predominantly factors of primary metabolism, allowed yeast to survive for more than 58 months in the cold. The majority of these deletion strains were not resistant against oxidants or reductants, but many were hypersensitive. Hence, survival at low metabolic rates has limiting genetic components, and correlates with stress resistance inversely. Indeed, maintaining the energy consuming anti-oxidative machinery seems to be disadvantageous under coldroom conditions.
Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Lucie
L
Postma
Hans
H
Lehrach
Markus
M
Ralser
D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001481:Basal Metabolism / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D003080:Cold Temperature; D017353:Gene Deletion; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D006605:Hibernation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins