[Reading Science] Found Key Enzyme of Aging... Will a Modern 'Bullocho' Appear?

German Cologne University Research Team, Study on 5 Species Including Humans
"'RNA Polymerase II' Plays a Key Role in Aging"

A key enzyme involved in aging in humans and other animals has been discovered. Attention is focused on whether this will lead to the development of a modern-day 'elixir of life' that can prevent aging through medication.

A research team from the University of Cologne in Germany recently revealed this fact after studying the causes and prevention methods of aging in five completely different animal species: humans, Drosophila, voles, mice, and nematodes. The team's paper was published on the 12th (local time) in the international academic journal Nature.

As animals age, the reliability of cellular metabolism decreases, leading to more frequent genetic mutations and chromosome breakage and shortening. Many studies have examined the effects of aging on gene expression, but there has been little research on transcription, the process by which RNA is synthesized using DNA as a template.

The University of Cologne research team analyzed genes from five species?nematodes, Drosophila, mice, voles, and humans (adults of various ages)?to elucidate this process. First, they measured how aging affected the speed at which RNA polymerase II (Pol II), a transcription-inducing enzyme, moves along DNA strands. The results showed that in all five species, Pol II moved faster on average as they aged, with decreased accuracy and increased errors.

They also conducted studies utilizing previous findings that dietary restriction and insulin secretion suppression are effective in delaying aging and extending lifespan. They examined how these methods affected Pol II speed. In nematodes, mice, and Drosophila with deliberately induced mutations in insulin signaling genes, Pol II speed slowed down, and the same was observed in mice on a low-calorie diet.

Subsequently, the team conducted experiments to confirm how Pol II enzyme speed ultimately affects lifespan. When they slowed Pol II speed in Drosophila and nematodes, these animals lived 10-20% longer compared to control groups. Furthermore, when they edited the genes of the same nematodes to normalize these mutations, their lifespan shortened again.

The researchers also identified factors influencing the acceleration of Pol II. Inside cells, DNA strands are wrapped around histone proteins forming structures called nucleosomes. Analysis of human lung and umbilical vein cells showed that aged cells had fewer nucleosomes, resulting in faster Pol II movement. When the team induced the expression of histone proteins within cells, Pol II speed decreased. In fact, increasing histone protein levels in Drosophila was observed to extend lifespan.

Professor Colin Selman of the University of Glasgow, UK, commented, "This is a truly remarkable study demonstrating that aging mechanisms operate similarly across diverse species," adding, "It opens the door to researching whether Pol II enzymes can be targeted for drug therapies to prevent aging."