Question

How are sirtuins thought to extend life?

Short answer

Sirtuins, a class of proteins, are thought to extend life due to their impactful role in cellular health. They regulate various cellular processes including aging, inflammation, stress resistance, and transcription. They remove acetyl groups from other proteins, resulting in mechanisms that may repair damaged DNA, regulate inflammatory responses, and manage proteins that slow down the development of age-related diseases. These factors collectively give reason to believe that sirtuins play a role in life extension.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding Sirtuins

Sirtuins are a class of proteins that possess either mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase, or deacylase activity, such as deacetylase, desuccinylase, demalonylase, demyristoylase and depalmitoylase activity. The name 'sirtuin' comes from the yeast gene 'silent mating type information regulation 2', the gene responsible for cellular regulation in yeast.

Sirtuins and Aging

Sirtuins are thought to extend life because of their role in cellular health. They regulate various cellular processes like aging, transcription, apoptosis, inflammation and stress resistance, as well as energy efficiency and alertness during low-calorie situations. Thus, by influencing these areas, sirtuins can potentially contribute to extended lifespan.

Mechanism of Action

One primary way sirtuins work is by removing acetyl groups from other proteins. Certain sirtuins, such as SIRT1, are involved in the repair of damaged DNA, regulation of inflammatory responses, and regulation of proteins that slow the development of age-related diseases. Moreover, sirtuins are known to improve cell function and longevity in response to calorie restriction, as studied in yeast, worms, flies, and mice.