Research Perspective Volume 5, Issue 3 pp 144—150
The sirtuins, oxidative stress and aging: an emerging link
- 1 Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- 2 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720; USA
- 3 Program in Metabolic Biology, Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Received: January 29, 2013 Accepted: March 6, 2013 Published: March 7, 2013
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.100544How to Cite
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a family of compounds that can oxidatively damage cellular macromolecules and may influence lifespan. Sirtuins are a conserved family of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent protein deacetylases that regulate lifespan in many model organisms including yeast and mice. Recent work suggests that sirtuins can modulate ROS levels notably during a dietary regimen known as calorie restriction which enhances lifespan for several organisms. Although both sirtuins and ROS have been implicated in the aging process, their precise roles remain unknown. In this review, we summarize current thinking about the oxidative stress theory of aging, discuss some of the compelling data linking the sirtuins to ROS and aging, and propose a conceptual model placing the sirtuins into an ROS-driven mitochondria-mediated hormetic response.