Functional genomic analysis reveals overlapping and distinct features of chronologically long-lived yeast populations

The chronological lifespan (CLS) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is defined as the number days that non-dividing cells remain viable, typically in stationary phase cultures or in water. CLS is extended by restricting glucose in the starting cultures, and is considered a form of caloric restriction (CR). Through a previous genetic screen our lab determined that deleting components of the de novo purine biosynthesis pathway also significantly increased CLS. Significant similarities in gene expression profiles between calorie restricted WT cells and a non-restricted ade4 mutant suggested the possibility of common gene expression biomarkers of all chronologically long lived cells that could also provide insights into general mechanisms of lifespan extension. We have identified additional growth conditions that extend CLS of WT cells, including supplementation of the media with isonicotinamide (INAM), a known sirtuin activator, or by supplementation with a concentrate collected from the expired media of a calorie restricted yeast culture, presumably due to an as yet unidentified longevity factor. Using these varied methods to extend CLS, we compared gene expression profiles in the aging cells (at day 8) to identify functionally relevant biomarkers of longevity. Nineteen genes were differentially regulated in all 4 of the long-lived populations relative to wild type. Of these 19 genes, viable haploid deletion mutants were available for 16 of them, and 12 were found to have a significant impact on CLS.

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Wierman MB, Matecic M, Valsakumar V, Li M, Smith DL Jr, Bekiranov S, Smith JS