What it is
Using fruit flies, the authors show that restricting protein intake during the larval stage extends adult lifespan by reducing the levels of storage proteins. Stable-isotope tracing showed that amino acids obtained by larvae are retained into early adulthood and incorporated in particular into ribosomal proteins, mediated by larval serum protein 2 (Lsp2), a major storage protein whose expression stays durably lower in early adulthood after early-life protein restriction. Silencing Lsp2 mimicked the restricted diet, reducing ribosomal-protein abundance and translational activity in early adulthood and extending lifespan.
Why it matters
Restricting diet early in life was suggested to extend lifespan nearly a century ago, and the effect has since been described in model organisms including fruit flies and mice, but its mechanism remained poorly understood. The study identifies Lsp2 as a molecular carrier of nutritional history across developmental transitions, and shows that restricting amino acids especially enriched in these storage proteins, such as phenylalanine and tyrosine, is enough to lower early-life Lsp2 and promote longevity.
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Filed underGenetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms, Heat shock proteins research, Coenzyme Q10 studies and effects