title: The role of the ribosome in the regulation of longevity and lifespan extension.
abstract: The most energy-consuming process that a cell must undertake to stay viable is the continuous biogenesis of ribosomes for the translation of RNA into protein. Given the inextricable links between energy consumption and cellular lifespan, it is not surprising that mutations and environmental cues that reduce ribosome biogenesis result in an extension of eukaryotic lifespan. This review goes into detail describing recent discoveries of different and often unexpected elements that play a role in the regulation of longevity by virtue of their ribosome biogenesis functions. These roles include controlling the transcription and processing of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), the translation of ribosomal protein (RP) genes, and the number of ribosomes overall. Together these findings suggest that a fundamental mechanism across eukaryotic species for extending lifespan is to slow down or halt the expenditure of cellular energy that is normally absorbed by the manufacturing and assembly of new ribosomes.
authors.affiliation: Amsterdam Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alyson W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: MacInnes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000076249:Heat Shock Transcription Factors; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008136:Longevity; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000378:metabolism; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D019893:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology; D056564:Sirtuin 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D000076249:Heat Shock Transcription Factors; D007328:Insulin; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D014157:Transcription Factors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D019893:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D056564:Sirtuin 1; D020123:Sirolimus