Sirtuins
DESirtuine
Sirtuins are a family of seven enzymes (SIRT1 through SIRT7) that act as metabolic sensors. They strip chemical tags off other proteins (mainly acetyl groups) to tune metabolism, DNA repair, mitochondrial function, and your stress response. The catch is they only run on NAD+, so when your NAD+ is low, sirtuins slow down, which links what you eat to which genes get switched on. They are thought to be part of why caloric restriction extends life, though whether sirtuin-activating compounds extend lifespan in mammals is still debated. SIRT1, SIRT3, and SIRT6 get the most aging research.
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Sources
- Imai S, Armstrong CM, Kaeberlein M, Guarente L. (2000). Transcriptional silencing and longevity protein Sir2 is an NAD-dependent histone deacetylase. *Nature*doi:10.1038/35001622
- Haigis MC, Sinclair DA. (2010). Mammalian Sirtuins: Biological Insights and Disease Relevance. *Annual Review of Pathology*doi:10.1146/annurev.pathol.4.110807.092250