Cell-cell metabolite exchange creates a pro-survival metabolic environment that extends lifespan

Clara Correia-Melo, Stephan Kamrad, Roland Tengölics, Christoph B. Messner, Pauline Trebulle, St John Townsend, Sreejith Jayasree Varma, Anja Freiwald, Benjamin M. Heineike, Kate Campbell, Lucía Herrera-Dominguez, Simran Kaur Aulakh, Lukasz Szyrwiel, Jason S.L. Yu, Aleksej Zelezniak, Vadim Demichev, Michael Mülleder, Balázs Papp, Mohammad Tauqeer Alam, Markus Ralser

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Metabolism is deeply intertwined with aging. Effects of metabolic interventions on aging have been explained with intracellular metabolism, growth control, and signaling. Studying chronological aging in yeast, we reveal a so far overlooked metabolic property that influences aging via the exchange of metabolites. We observed that metabolites exported by young cells are re-imported by chronologically aging cells, resulting in cross-generational metabolic interactions. Then, we used self-establishing metabolically cooperating communities (SeMeCo) as a tool to increase metabolite exchange and observed significant lifespan extensions. The longevity of the SeMeCo was attributable to metabolic reconfigurations in methionine consumer cells. These obtained a more glycolytic metabolism and increased the export of protective metabolites that in turn extended the lifespan of cells that supplied them with methionine. Our results establish metabolite exchange interactions as a determinant of cellular aging and show that metabolically cooperating cells can shape the metabolic environment to extend their lifespan.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)63-79.e21
JournalCell
Volume186
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 5 2023

Keywords

  • chronological aging
  • eukaryotic longevity
  • metabolic microenvironment
  • metabolite exchange interactions

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology

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