Humans could live up to 160 years thanks to this cellular mechanism

Flies teach us a lot about our genetics. For example, Drosophilathe fruit fly, can be easily genetically modified for scientific studies. Recently, researchers at the University of California Merced used this species for a study on the mechanism of aging in humans. In Nature Communicationsthey explain having discovered that a cellular process, observed in these insects, would make us live up to 160 years, if it were applied to humans.

Genetic mutation observed in fruit flies

In a press release published on the their university websitethe researchers say that when they started the study, they had no idea what they were looking for. Their initial goal was to understand the role of the protein OTUD6, which is involved in regulating protein production in cells. The research team genetically modified flies to generate mutations in OTUD6. Their hypothesis was that the flies would show obvious changes, “such as the shape or number of wings or reproductive abnormalities”. “Instead, the flies looked normal.”they reveal.

To better observe the role of this mutation, they “stressed” flies due to different factors.”We found that they were sensitive to chemical stress, for example oxidative stress, says Professor Fred Wolf, co-author of the study. This allowed us to investigate how OTUD6 contributes to stress resilience“They worked on all the proteins that could interact with OTUD6: they found that the latter reduced the production of ribosome proteins, which ensure the translation of mRNA into proteins, by half.

Genetic mutation doubles life expectancy

“We were quite surprised by the huge impact that Otud6 had on the amount of protein in cells: genetically modifying OTUD6 in flies cuts protein production in halfexplains Fred Wolf. It’s a huge difference“The amount of protein produced in cells affects the lifespan of animals. Lower protein production correlates with longer lifespan.”Our otud6 mutants lived twice as long, he warns. We think it’s because there was less protein“So, if the mutation were applied to humans, life expectancy would increase from 80 to 160 years.

Implications for cancer

“The amount of protein generated can also have a huge impact on certain types of cancers.”the authors say. In some cancers, the amount of OTUD6 is higher, and some of these conditions are linked to increased protein production. In their press release, the researchers say that they do not yet have direct evidence of a link, but that an increase in OTUD6 could contribute to the growth and proliferation of cancer cells.It’s been known for years that there are two ways cells regulate protein levels, and we think we’ve discovered a third way.” concludes Fred Wolf.