Monday, December 11, 2017

RNA Polymerase III and Its Effect On Lifespan

According to an article posted in Nature, the enzyme RNA Polymerase III has an effect on lifespan. This enzyme that is used to create tRNA and 5s rRNA  has been reduced in in several animal species such as fruit flies and certain worms. In the experiments conducted the life span of the test animals outlived the control groups. this is due to the researchers inhibiting Target of rapamycin kinase complex 1 to reduce the levels of RNA Polymerase III, in most tests the TORC1 was inhibited in just the gut of several worms and just that was enough to lengthen their lifespan.  the long lifespan in this case is associated with the slower and reduced protein synthesis, and also lower proteostatic stress.

Some articles are sensationalizing this discovery as being able to lengthen the lifespans of humans or other mammals, yet testing on mice hasn't taken place and there is no proof that this treatment will have similar results without any major side effects, despite all of this it does sound very promising.
link 1

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