In 18 species of rodents with varying lifespans, researchers looked at sirtuin 6 , a gene which plays a role in processes in the body including aging, cellular stress resistance, and DNA repair.
While animals with relatively short lifespans don’t have so many DSBs, Bohmann explained, “if you want to live for 50 years or so, there’s more of a need to put a system into place to fix these breaks. The SIRT6 protein seems to be the dominant determinant of lifespan. We show that at the cell level, the DNA repair works better, and at the organism level, there is an extended lifespan.”
Gorbunova explained the team pinpointed five amino acids which appear to make the SIRT6 protein stronger and “more active in repairing DNA and better at enzyme functions.” The team will continue their work by studying the SIRT6 of animals with extremely long lifespans, including the bowhead whale which can live for over 200 years.Dr. Vera Gorbunova, Professor of Biology at the University of Rochester, said in a statement: “The ultimate goal is to prevent age-related diseases in humans. If diseases happen because of DNA that becomes disorganized with age, we can use research like this to target interventions that can delay cancer and other degenerative diseases.