Understanding the role of mitochondrial UPR-activating mtDNA landscapes in health and longevity.

最近的一项研究结果表明，线粒体遗传学与健康之间存在有趣的联系。本研究 使用C57 BL-核基因组匹配的共质体小鼠，其中一个品系携带来自C57 BL的线粒体 另一个菌株携带来自NZ背景的线粒体（BL 6C 57），另一个菌株携带来自NZ背景的线粒体（BL 6 NZB）。的 作者报告说，携带NZB线粒体DNA（mtDNA）的小鼠更健康， 尽管与BL 6C 57小鼠共享相同的核基因组，但它们的寿命存在差异。由于线粒体DNA的 NZB和C57 BL 6小鼠只有几个突变不同，他们的发现表明线粒体的微小变化 基因会导致健康和寿命的巨大差异。他们报告说，这些差异与 与线粒体未折叠蛋白轴的激活一致的许多变化 反应（UPRmt）在Germain的实验室确定。一个轴由SIRT 3和FOXO 3a调节，这两个轴都是关键。 老化的调节器。另一个轴由雌激素受体α（ERα）调节。我们最近还报道 线粒体DNA序列的微小差异可以导致UPRmt轴的差异激活， 它们的激活在男性和女性之间是不同的。我们的核心假设是， 共质体小鼠是由于BL 6 NZB的mtDNA激活UPRmt的能力， 男性和女性之间。为了验证这一假设，我们提出了以下三个目标： 具体目的1：评估BL 6C 57雄性和雌性动物与BL 6 NZB的组织中UPRmt的活化 雄性和雌性同类小鼠。 具体目标2：测试删除每个UPRmt节点的关键基因是否会消除UPRmt节点的健康益处。 BL 6 NZB共体小鼠。 具体目标3：评估已知增加SIRT 3、FOXO 3a或ERα的干预措施是否改善健康 和BL 6C 57同源小鼠的寿命。

The results of a recent study suggest an intriguing link between mitochondrial genetics and health. This study used C57BL-nuclear-genome matched conplastic mice, where one strain carries mitochondria from the C57BL background (BL6C57) and the other strain carries the mitochondria from the NZ background (BL6NZB). The authors reported that mice carrying NZB mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are healthier and show significant differences in longevity despite sharing the same nuclear genome as the BL6C57 mice. Since the mtDNA of NZB and C57BL6 mice vary by only a few mutations, their findings suggest that small changes in mitochondirla genetics can cause large difference in health and longevity. They reported that these differences correlated with a number of changes that are consistent with the activation of axes of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) identified in the Germain's lab. One axis is regulated by SIRT3 and FOXO3a, both key regulators of aging. Another axis is regulated by the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). We also recently reported that small differences in mtDNA sequence can lead to differential activation of the axes of the UPRmt and also that their activation varies between males and females. Our central hypothesis is that the differences between the conplastic mice are due to the ability mtDNA of the BL6NZB to activate the UPRmt and will differ not only between males and females. To test this hypothesis, we propose the following three aims: Specific aim 1: Assess the activation of the UPRmt in tissues in the BL6C57 males and females versus BL6NZB males and females congenic mice. Specific aim 2: Test whether deleting key genes of each UPRmt nodes abolishes the health benefit of the BL6NZB conplastic mice. Specific aim 3: Assess whether interventions known to increase SIRT3, FOXO3a or ERα improve the health and longevity of BL6C57 conplastic mice.