The mole rat and the successful anti-aging process

The mole-like mouse looks like a pink sausage, winced with a sword. They will not be able to win any beauty pageants, even among rodents. But this East African animal is the longest in rodents. They live nine times longer than similar sized mice. Not only do they have a very long life cycle, they also maintain good health for most of their lives and are exceptionally good at resisting cancer.

Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio are studying the mechanism of good health and slow aging of hairless moles in large mice at the Life Research Institute. and aging Barshop. In the March 3 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists report another unusual feature of this animal - the hair of the rats is particularly effective in removing damaged proteins. and therefore retain stable and high quality proteins.

Co-author Rochelle Buffenstein, professor of physiology at Barshop Academy and one of the leading experts on aging in mouse rats, said: 'The hairless moles don't carry the usual expressions of Aging, such as menopause or impaired brain function. They have a healthy life cycle that we all want. '

In most organisms, proteins are marked for destruction, and a waste removal unit, called a "proteasome", selects damaged proteins and re-uses amino acids to form new proteins. The team found that very few proteins were marked for destruction in this mole, which suggests they have better proteins as well as a more efficient mechanism for eliminating damaged proteins. As a result, damaged proteins do not accumulate and destroy cells.

Hairless moles are in a roll of toilet paper. (Photo: University of Texas, Center for Health Sciences)

The author of Asish Chaudhuri, a biochemistry professor at Barshop Academy, said: 'We believe that the level of protein damage in mole rats is not as important as the ability to remove lesions. effectively'.

Scientists compared their tissues to the tissues of experimental mice. Specimens from mole rats are much better at dealing with stressed proteins.

The lead author Viviana Perez, a postdoctoral researcher at Barshop Academy, said: 'We identified that the protein cluster clusters constitute toxic blocks for cells, and these blocks play a role Important in age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson, Huntington and Lou Gehrig. Finding a way to mimic the ability to mimic effective damage to moles like mice can be a prerequisite to finding new drugs for these diseases. '

The researchers' next step is to determine whether the tissues of other long-lived animals, such as some birds, are capable of removing similarly damaged proteins. Finally, tissue from primates and even humans can be studied to verify the universality of 'protein removal theory' , Dr. Chaudhuri commented.

Dr. Buffenstein concluded: 'Understanding how mole rats control protein quality can provide new insights into how humans can maintain good health. We can also learn something about treating age-related diseases. '

Refer:
Perez et al.Stability and resistance to oxidative stress proteins are determinants of longevity in the longest-living rodent, the naked mole-rat.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2009;106 (9): 3059 DOI: 10.1073 / pnas.0809620106