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Autophagy in skeletal muscle: The effects of age and diet
Author(s) -
Wohlgemuth Stephanie Eva,
Nguyen Alex,
Lees Hazel Anne,
Marzetti Emanuele,
Leeuwenburgh Christiaan
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.525.1
Subject(s) - autophagy , plantaris muscle , skeletal muscle , soleus muscle , medicine , endocrinology , calorie restriction , chemistry , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , apoptosis
Effects of age and life‐long calorie restriction on regulation of autophagy were studied in skeletal muscle of male Fischer344xBrownNorway rats. Autophagy is the primary pathway for degradation of long‐lived proteins and organelles. We investigated the expression of autophagy regulatory proteins in plantaris (fast‐twitch) and soleus (slow‐twitch) muscles of 8, 27 and 38‐month‐old rats, fed ad libitum or 40% calorie restricted (CR). Muscle mass decreased with age. The decrease was less pronounced in soleus than plantaris, and attenuated by CR in both muscles. The expression of the autophagy regulatory proteins Beclin‐1 and Atg7 increased with age in both muscles. In contrast, the LC‐3 II/I ratio increased in the soleus, but decreased in the plantaris. CR stimulated autophagy in the soleus but had no marked effect in the plantaris. In conclusion, the response of autophagy to age and CR appears to be muscle type specific, with implications for autophagy's diverse roles in aging. This study was supported by the University of Florida Institute on Aging and Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (1 P30 AG028740) and by grants to CL (NIA R01‐AG17994 and AG21042).