"AcCoA"lade for energy and life span

Bcl-2 family proteins, beyond the veil

Apoptosis is an important part of both health and disease and is often regulated by the BCL-2 family of proteins. These proteins are either pro- or anti-apoptotic, existing in a delicate balance during homeostasis. They are best known for their role in regulating the activation of caspases and the execution of a cell in response to a variety of stimuli. However, it is often forgotten that these BCL-2 family proteins also have important roles to play in cell maintenance that are not associated with apoptosis. These include roles in regulating processes such as cell cycle progression, mitochondrial function, autophagy, intracellular calcium concentration, glucose and lipid metabolism, and the unfolded protein response. In addition to these established alternate functions, further discoveries are being made that have potential therapeutic benefits in diseases such as cancer. BOK, a BCL-2 family protein thought comparable to multidomain pro-apoptotic proteins BAX and BAK, has recently been identified as a key player in metabolism of and resistance to the commonly used chemotherapeutic 5-FU. As a result of such findings, which could see the potential use of BOK as a biomarker for 5-FU sensitivity or mimetic molecules as a resensitization strategy, new targets and mechanisms of pathology may arise from further investigation into the realm of alternate functions of BCL-2 family proteins.

Uridine affects liver protein glycosylation, insulin signaling, and heme biosynthesis

Purines and pyrimidines are complementary bases of the genetic code. The roles of purines and their derivatives in cellular signal transduction and energy metabolism are well-known. In contrast, the roles of pyrimidines and their derivatives in cellular function remain poorly understood. In this study, the roles of uridine, a pyrimidine nucleoside, in liver metabolism are examined in mice. We report that short-term uridine administration in C57BL/6J mice increases liver protein glycosylation profiles, reduces phosphorylation level of insulin signaling proteins, and activates the HRI-eIF-2α-ATF4 heme-deficiency stress response pathway. Short-term uridine administration is also associated with reduced liver hemin level and reduced ability for insulin-stimulated blood glucose removal during an insulin tolerance test. Some of the short-term effects of exogenous uridine in C57BL/6J mice are conserved in transgenic UPase1^−/− mice with long-term elevation of endogenous uridine level. UPase1^−/− mice exhibit activation of the liver HRI-eIF-2α-ATF4 heme-deficiency stress response pathway. UPase1^−/− mice also exhibit impaired ability for insulin-stimulated blood glucose removal. However, other short-term effects of exogenous uridine in C57BL/6J mice are not conserved in UPase1^−/− mice. UPase1^−/− mice exhibit normal phosphorylation level of liver insulin signaling proteins and increased liver hemin concentration compared to untreated control C57BL/6J mice. Contrasting short-term and long-term consequences of uridine on liver metabolism suggest that uridine exerts transient effects and elicits adaptive responses. Taken together, our data support potential roles of pyrimidines and their derivatives in the regulation of liver metabolism.

Biogerontology in Spain: the most significant studies

Here we give an overview of the past and ongoing research in the biology of ageing in Spain. Some of the main topics being investigated are those related to oxidative stress and aging. One of the main findings is the implication of mitochondria in the age-associated oxidative stress. Nutritional modulation of aging is another topic which has been dealt with, and one of the main findings is that methionine restriction has a role in longevity extension. Regarding to hormones and aging, is important to highlight the role of estrogens in protecting females against oxidative stress, and the health-associated effects of melatonin. Finally, molecular biologists have found new age-associated genes by showing changes in longevity of genetically manipulated mice.