Death and dessert: nutrient signalling pathways and ageing

Abstract

Reduction in nutrient intake without malnutrition can delay ageing and extend healthy life in diverse organisms from yeast to primates. This effect can be recapitulated by genetic or pharmacological dampening of the signal through nutrient signalling pathways, making them a promising target for intervention into human ageing and age-related diseases. Here we review the current knowledge of the interactions between nutrient signalling pathways and ageing, focusing on the findings emerged in the past few years.

Figure 1

The nutrient signalling network comprised of IIS and TOR signalling pathway in four model organisms (from left): the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the mouse Mus musculus. Orthologous signalling components are indicated with the same symbol in each organism. Duplication of some signalling components in certain organisms are indicated. For example, the insulin/IGF-like peptides (ILPS) are present in numerous copies in worms and yeast, whereas there are four FoxO genes in mammals. RAS is only indicated in the two organisms where modulation of its signalling has been shown to affect lifespan.