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Non-neovascular or dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multi-factorial disease with degeneration of the aging retinal-pigmented epithelium (RPE). Lysosomes play a crucial role in RPE health via phagocytosis and autophagy, which are regulated by transcription factor EB/E3 (TFEB/E3). Here, we find that increased AKT2 inhibits PGC-1α to downregulate SIRT5, which we identify as an AKT2 binding partner. Crosstalk between SIRT5 and AKT2 facilitates TFEB-dependent lysosomal function in the RPE. AKT2/SIRT5/TFEB pathway inhibition in the RPE induced lysosome/autophagy signaling abnormalities, disrupted mitochondrial function and induced release of debris contributing to drusen. Accordingly, AKT2 overexpression in the RPE caused a dry AMD-like phenotype in aging Akt2 KI mice, as evident from decline in retinal function. Importantly, we show that induced pluripotent stem cell-derived RPE encoding the major risk variant associated with AMD (complement factor H; CFH Y402H) express increased AKT2, impairing TFEB/TFE3-dependent lysosomal function. Collectively, these findings suggest that targeting the AKT2/SIRT5/TFEB pathway may be an effective therapy to delay the progression of dry AMD.

Multiple roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their consequences for health and disease are emerging throughout biological sciences. This development has led researchers unfamiliar with the complexities of ROS and their reactions to employ commercial kits and probes to measure ROS and oxidative damage inappropriately, treating ROS (a generic abbreviation) as if it were a discrete molecular entity. Unfortunately, the application and interpretation of these measurements are fraught with challenges and limitations. This can lead to misleading claims entering the literature and impeding progress, despite a well-established body of knowledge on how best to assess individual ROS, their reactions, role as signalling molecules and the oxidative damage that they can cause. In this consensus statement we illuminate problems that can arise with many commonly used approaches for measurement of ROS and oxidative damage, and propose guidelines for best practice. We hope that these strategies will be useful to those who find their research requiring assessment of ROS, oxidative damage and redox signalling in cells and in vivo.

Death from chronic lung disease is increasing and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has become the third leading cause of death in the United States in the past decade. Both chronic and acute lung diseases disproportionately affect elderly individuals, making it likely that these diseases will become more frequent and severe as the worldwide population ages. Chronic lung diseases are associated with substantial morbidity, frequently resulting in exercise limiting dyspnea, immobilization, and isolation. Therefore, effective strategies to prevent or treat lung disease are likely to increase healthspan as well as life span. This review summarizes the findings of a joint workshop sponsored by the NIA and NHLBI that brought together investigators focused on aging and lung biology. These investigators encouraged the use of genetic systems and aged animals in the study of lung disease and the development of integrative systems-based platforms that can dynamically incorporate data sets that describe the genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, and proteomics of the aging lung in health and disease. Further research was recommended to integrate benchmark biological hallmarks of aging in the lung with the pathobiology of acute and chronic lung diseases with divergent pathologies for which advanced age is the most important risk factor.

A substantial amount of mitochondrial energy is required for cell-cycle progression. The mechanisms underlying the coordination of the mitochondrial respiration with cell-cycle progression, especially the G2/M transition, remain to be elucidated. Here, we show that a fraction of cyclin B1/Cdk1 proteins localizes to the matrix of mitochondria and phosphorylates a cluster of mitochondrial proteins, including the complex I (CI) subunits in the respiratory chain. Cyclin B1/Cdk1-mediated CI phosphorylation enhances CI activity, whereas deficiency of such phosphorylation in each of the relevant CI subunits results in impairment of CI function. Mitochondria-targeted cyclin B1/Cdk1 increases mitochondrial respiration with enhanced oxygen consumption and ATP generation, which provides cells with efficient bioenergy for G2/M transition and shortens overall cell-cycle time. Thus, cyclin B1/Cdk1-mediated phosphorylation of mitochondrial substrates allows cells to sense and respond to increased energy demand for G2/M transition and, subsequently, to upregulate mitochondrial respiration for successful cell-cycle progression.

Background: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a leading contributor to low back pain (LBP). Autophagy, strongly activated by hypoxia and nutrient starvation, is a vital intracellular quality control process that removes damaged proteins and organelles to recycle them for cellular biosynthesis and energy production. While well‐established as a major driver of many age‐related diseases, autophagy dysregulation or deficiency has yet been confirmed to cause IDD. Methods: In vitro, rat nucleus pulposus (NP) cells treated with bafilomycin A1 to inhibit autophagy were assessed for glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content, proteoglycan synthesis, and cell viability. In vivo, a transgenic strain (Col2a1‐Cre; Atg7fl/fl) mice were successfully generated to inhibit autophagy primarily in NP tissues. Col2a1‐Cre; Atg7fl/fl mouse intervertebral discs (IVDs) were evaluated for biomarkers for apoptosis and cellular senescence, aggrecan content, and histological changes up to 12 months of age. Results: Here, we demonstrated inhibition of autophagy by bafilomycin produced IDD features in the rat NP cells, including increased apoptosis and cellular senescence (p21CIP1) and decreased expression of disc matrix genes Col2a1 and Acan. H&E histologic staining showed significant but modest degenerative changes in NP tissue of Col2a1‐Cre; Atg7fl/fl mice compared to controls at 6 and 12 months of age. Intriguingly, 12‐month‐old Col2a1‐Cre; Atg7fl/fl mice did not display increased loss of NP proteoglycan. Moreover, markers of apoptosis (cleaved caspase‐3, TUNEL), and cellular senescence (p53, p16INK4a, IL‐1β, TNF‐α) were not affected in 12‐month‐old Col2a1‐Cre; Atg7fl/fl mice compared to controls. However, p21CIP1and Mmp13 gene expression were upregulated in NP tissue of 12‐month‐old Col2a1‐Cre; Atg7fl/fl mice compared to controls, suggesting p21CIP1‐mediated cellular senescence resulted from NP‐targeted Atg7 knockout might contribute to the observed histological changes. Conclusion: The absence of overt IDD features from disrupting Atg7‐mediated macroautophagy in NP tissue implicates other compensatory mechanisms, highlighting additional research needed to elucidate the complex biology of autophagy in regulating age‐dependent IDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Editorial Board of Aging reviews research papers published in 2009, which they believe have or will have significant impact on aging research. Among many others, the topics include genes that accelerate aging or in contrast promote longevity in model organisms, DNA damage responses and telomeres, molecular mechanisms of life span extension by calorie restriction and pharmacological interventions into aging. The emerging message in 2009 is that aging is not random but determined by a genetically-regulated longevity network and can be decelerated both genetically and pharmacologically.

The biological basis of human aging remains one of the greatest unanswered scientific questions. Increasing evidence, however, points to a role for alterations in mitochondrial function as a potential central regulator of the aging process. Here, we focus primarily on three aspects of mitochondrial biology that link this ancient organelle to how and why we age. In particular, we discuss the role of mitochondria in regulating the innate immune system, the mechanisms linking mitochondrial quality control to age-dependent pathology, and the possibility that mitochondrial-to-nuclear signaling might regulate the rate of aging., Introduction While prokaryotes can be viewed as immortal, their seemingly more advanced cousins, eukaryotes, all are cloaked in a more complex but mortal shell. What regulates this mortality and controls [...]

An increase in hepatic glucose production (HGP) is a key feature of type 2 diabetes. Excessive signaling through hepatic [G.sub.s]-linked glucagon receptors critically contributes to pathologically elevated HGP. Here, we tested the hypothesis that this metabolic impairment can be counteracted by enhancing hepatic [G.sub.i] signaling. Specifically, we used a chemogenetic approach to selectively activate [G.sub.i]-type G proteins in mouse hepatocytes in vivo. Unexpectedly, activation of hepatic [G.sub.i] signaling triggered a pronounced increase in HGP and severely impaired glucose homeostasis. Moreover, increased [G.sub.i] signaling stimulated glucose release in human hepatocytes. A lack of functional [G.sub.i]- type G proteins in hepatocytes reduced blood glucose levels and protected mice against the metabolic deficits caused by the consumption of a high-fat diet. Additionally, we delineated a signaling cascade that links hepatic [G.sub.i] signaling to ROS production, JNK activation, and a subsequent increase in HGP. Taken together, our data support the concept that drugs able to block hepatic G-coupled GPCRs may prove beneficial as antidiabetic drugs., Introduction Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has emerged as a major health problem worldwide (1). In addition to other pathophysiological features, T2D is characterized by an increase in hepatic glucose production [...]