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Transcription errors induce proteotoxic stress and shorten cellular lifespan
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Transcription errors induce proteotoxic stress and shorten cellular lifespan

Marc Vermulst, Ashley S Denney, Michael J Lang, Chao-Wei Hung, Stephanie Moore, M Arthur Moseley, J Will Thompson, Victoria Madden, Jacob Gauer, Katie J Wolfe, …
Nature communications, Vol.6(1), 8065
08/25/2015
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9065
PMCID: PMC4684168
PMID: 26304740
url
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9065View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Transcription errors occur in all living cells; however, it is unknown how these errors affect cellular health. To answer this question, we monitor yeast cells that are genetically engineered to display error-prone transcription. We discover that these cells suffer from a profound loss in proteostasis, which sensitizes them to the expression of genes that are associated with protein-folding diseases in humans; thus, transcription errors represent a new molecular mechanism by which cells can acquire disease phenotypes. We further find that the error rate of transcription increases as cells age, suggesting that transcription errors affect proteostasis particularly in aging cells. Accordingly, transcription errors accelerate the aggregation of a peptide that is implicated in Alzheimer's disease, and shorten the lifespan of cells. These experiments reveal a previously unappreciated role for transcriptional fidelity in cellular health and aging.
Mutation Cell Line Cellular Senescence - genetics Molecular Chaperones - metabolism Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism Stress, Physiological Cell Survival - genetics Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - genetics Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism RNA Polymerase II - genetics Transcription, Genetic Saccharomyces cerevisiae Protein Aggregation, Pathological - metabolism

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