The human quest for long life could be a step closer, thanks to research from Concordia University. Published in the Journal of Aging, a new study is the first to identify the role of a bile acid called lithocholic acid (LCA), extending the life of the normal aging yeast. The findings may have important implications for human health and longevity, such as yeast share some elements in common with people.“Our results imply that LCA extends longevity targeting two different mechanisms,” says first author Alexander Goldberg, PhD student at Concordia University. “The first takes place regardless of the number of calories and proteins involved routine. The second system occurs during caloric restriction and involves stress proteins.”
The paper, “Chemical genetic screening identifies lithocholic acid as an anti-aging that extends the life span of yeast in chronological order, TOR independent processes by modulating guarantee the longevity of cleanliness” in the Journal of Aging, was written by Alexander A. Goldberg, Vincent R. Richard, Pavlo Kyryakov, Simon D. Bourque, Adam Beach, Michelle T. English and Vladimir I. Titorenko of Concordia University, David Y. Thomas of McGill University.
Titorenko and colleagues tested more than 19,000 small molecules to test their ability to extend the lifespan of yeast. Under normal and stressed, LCA had a major impact.
“Although we found that LCA greatly extends the longevity of yeast, yeast do not synthesize this or any other bile acid mammals,” said the lead author, Vladimir Titorenko, Concordia University Research Chair in Genomics, Cell Biology and Aging and a professor at Department of Biology. “It may be that yeast have evolved to detect moderately toxic bile acids as molecules and respond by undergoing changes to prolong life.
It ‘is conceivable that the potential to prolong the life of the LCA may be relevant to humans.”
“Regardless of their active both mechanisms work to remove the pro-aging,” he says.
This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Foundation for Innovation Fund and the President of Concordia University.