Discovered the mechanism that curbs aging: it is found in a plant

Discovered on mechanism that delays aging and could help fight cancer. The secret of longevity is all kept in a plant: the Pinus longaeva, typical of the southwestern United States, is capable of living 5,000 years and is the oldest living organism.

In its enzymes and chromosomes, the mechanism capable of restraining aging and hopefully in the future can be used in humans has been discovered. not only to live longer but also to fight cancer. The discovery is published in the journal of the American Academy of Sciences (Pnas) by the State University of Arizona.

The group led by Julian Chen focused on the key enzyme of longevity, called telomerase, whose function is to protect the structures that are found at the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, and that progressively shorten each time the cell divides, determining aging. It is the telomeres that keep the ends of the chromosomes as intact as possible, together with their genetic material.

Telomerase, which won the Nobel Prize for geneticists Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak. In 2009, was first isolated in a single-celled organism; then it was found to be present in almost all multicellular organisms, including humans, with a crucial role in aging and cancer. In this case the researchers, for the first time, were able to understand the structure and functions of Rna (the DNA cousin molecule) present in the telomerase of this pine Methuselah, finding an evolutionary thread that unites single-celled organisms and humans.

Each time the cell divides, the DNA of the telomeres narrows. This continuous shortening works a bit like a 'molecular clock' that marks the countdown to the end of cell growth. To balance the 'telomere shrinkage there is telomerase, which compensates for cellular aging by adding replicas of DNA on the end of the chromosome, using as' printed its Rna. But we have seen that while the RNA of the unicellular organism and of men are very different from each other, that of the plant has common characteristics with both. It is the missing link, which will help in the future to understand how to develop anti-cancer and anti-aging therapies.

"Understanding how telomerase is regulated and limited – comments Chen – will help reverse the shortening of telomeres and cellular aging, developing anti-cancer and anti-aging therapies".

© Reproduction reserved