Dr. Agata Tyczewska, mgr Alicja Rzepczak, Dr. Daria Sobańska (from the Laboratory of Model Animal Organisms) and prof. Kamilla Grzywacz (from the Department of Functional Transcriptomics) are the authors of the publication “The emerging roles of tRNAs and tRNA-derived fragments during aging: Lessons from studies on model organisms”, which has just been published in the journal “Aging Research Reviews”.

The authors presented the significance of tRNA metabolism and epitranscriptome, as well as tRNA-derived short RNAs, in the regulation of the aging process and longevity in model organisms. Aging is a gradual deterioration of various body functions, resulting in a decrease in the ability to protect against the harmful effects of the environment and disruption of physiological harmony. Until recently, age-related functional declines in organisms were thought to be passive and unregulated. However, studies of model organisms, from yeasts to mammals, have revealed that mechanisms of lifespan regulation are extremely evolutionarily conserved. Following pioneering genetic studies in C. elegans, genes associated with longevity have been shown to be conserved in yeast, flies and mice. It has also been shown that tRNAs are involved in various physiological and pathological processes. The review paper summarizes the literature reports on the function of tRNA and its metabolism in aging and longevity in model organisms. Better understanding of the aging-underlying mechanisms could lead to the development of new methods for the diagnosis and treatment of age-related diseases.

The publication is available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2023.101863