Intermittent time-restricted feeding promotes longevity through circadian autophagy

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) has recently gained interest as a potential anti-aging treatment for organisms from Drosophila to humans.(1–5) TRF restricts food intake to specific hours of the day. Because TRF controls the timing of feeding, not nutrient or caloric content, TRF has been hypothesized to depend on circadian-regulated functions; the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. To exploit the genetic tools and well-characterized aging markers of Drosophila, we developed an intermittent TRF (iTRF) dietary regimen that robustly extended fly lifespan and delayed onset of aging markers in muscles and gut. We found that iTRF enhanced circadian-regulated transcription and that iTRF-mediated lifespan extension required both circadian regulation and autophagy, a conserved longevity pathway. Night-specific induction of autophagy was both necessary and sufficient to extend lifespan on ad lib diet and also prevented further iTRF-mediated lifespan extension. In contrast, day-specific induction of autophagy did not extend lifespan. Thus, these results identify circadian-regulated autophagy as a critical contributor to iTRF-mediated health benefits in Drosophila. Because both circadian regulation and autophagy are highly conserved processes in human aging, this work highlights the possibility that behavioral or pharmaceutical interventions stimulating circadian-regulated autophagy may provide people with similar health benefits such as delayed aging and lifespan extension.