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The role of the ribosome in the regulation of longevity and lifespan extension
Author(s) -
MacInnes Alyson W.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
wiley interdisciplinary reviews: rna
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.225
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1757-7012
pISSN - 1757-7004
DOI - 10.1002/wrna.1325
Subject(s) - ribosome biogenesis , ribosome , biology , ribosomal rna , longevity , translation (biology) , microbiology and biotechnology , ribosome profiling , biogenesis , protein biosynthesis , ribosomal protein , genetics , eukaryotic ribosome , 5.8s ribosomal rna , rna , computational biology , gene , messenger rna
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. WIREs RNA 2016, 7:198–212. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1325 This article is categorized under: Translation > Ribosome Structure/Function RNA Processing > Splicing Mechanisms