Organ pattern of age-related changes in the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase activities of the mouse

Abstract

The specific activities of 17 aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases from liver, lung, heart, spleen, kidney, small intestine and skeletal muscle of young (2 months) and aged (39 months) female Han:NMRI mice were determined under standard conditions of sample preparation and assay. The average reduction of total activity during ageing is 70% for liver, 50% for lung and spleen, nearly 40% for heart and kidney and nearly 20% for intestine and skeletal muscle. Detailed comparison reveals no general, but an organ-specific pattern. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases were, furthermore, found to be ribosome-associated in higher proportions in liver tissue from aged mice.