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The free radical theory of aging posits oxidative damage to macromolecules as a primary determinant of lifespan. Recent studies challenge this theory by demonstrating that in some cases, longevity is enhanced by inactivation of oxidative stress defenses or is correlated with increased, rather than decreased reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage. Here we show that, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, caloric restriction or inactivation of catalases extends chronological lifespan by inducing elevated levels of the reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide, which activate superoxide dismutases that inhibit the accumulation of superoxide anions. Increased hydrogen peroxide in catalase-deficient cells extends chronological lifespan despite parallel increases in oxidative damage. These findings establish a role for hormesis effects of hydrogen peroxide in promoting longevity that have broad implications for understanding aging and age-related diseases.aging | hydrogen peroxide | hormesis | antioxidant enzymes | oxidative damage T he longstanding free radical theory has guided investigations into the causes and consequences of aging for more than 50 y (1). However, the results of a number of recent studies have failed to provide support for the free radical theory or suggest that this theory is at best incomplete (2). Studies of naked mole rats, for example, demonstrated that this extremely long-lived rodent exhibits high levels of oxidative damage compared with mice or rats, whose lifespans are ≈1/10 that of naked mole rats (3). In addition, caloric restriction (CR), which extends the lifespans of a variety of eukaryotic organisms, promotes longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans by a mechanism that involves increased oxidative stress (4). In fact, in contrast to the destructive effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS), recent evidence indicates that in mammals, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and other forms of ROS function as essential secondary messengers in the regulation of a variety of physiological processes (reviewed in ref. 5). For example, H 2 O 2 activates prosurvival signaling pathways mediated by p53, NF-κB, AP-1, and other molecules (6). Furthermore, increases in the intracellular steady-state production of H 2 O 2 by SOD2 overexpression can block the activation of cellular processes required for programmed cell death (7). However, a causal relationship between CR and effects on oxidative stress has been difficult to establish.To better understand how CR impacts oxidative stress and longevity in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in this study we examined intracellular levels of H 2 O 2 and superoxide anions (O 2 − ), which are two forms of ROS implicated in aging in all eukaryotes, under CR and other conditions. Our findings indicate that CR or inactivation of catalases extends chronological lifespan (CLS) by inducing elevated levels of H 2 O 2 , which activate superoxide dismutases that inhibit the accumulation of O 2 − . These findings establish a role for hormesis effects of H 2 O 2 in promoting l...

Genome instability is a fundamentally important component of aging in all eukaryotes. How age-related genome instability occurs remains unclear. The free radical theory of aging posits oxidative damage to DNA and other cellular constituents as a primary determinant of aging. More recent versions of this theory predict that mitochondria are a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause oxidative damage. Although substantial support for the free radical theory exists, the results of some tests of this theory have been contradictory or inconclusive. Enhanced growth signaling also has been implicated in aging. Many efforts to understand the effects of growth signaling on aging have focused on inhibition of oxidative stress responses that impact oxidative damage. However, recent experiments in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) and in higher eukaryotes suggest that growth signaling also impacts aging and/or age-related diseases—including cancer and neurodegeneration—by inducing DNA replication stress, which causes DNA damage. Replication stress, which has not been broadly considered as a factor in aging, may be enhanced by ROS that signal growth. In this article, we review evidence that points to DNA replication stress and replication stress-induced genome instability as important factors in aging.

The large protein superfamily of NADPH oxidases (NOX enzymes) is found in members of all eukaryotic kingdoms: animals, plants, fungi, and protists. The physiological functions of these NOX enzymes range from defense to specialized oxidative biosynthesis and to signaling. In filamentous fungi, NOX enzymes are involved in signaling cell differentiation, in particular in the formation of fruiting bodies. On the basis of bioinformatics analysis, until now it was believed that the genomes of unicellular fungi like Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe do not harbor genes coding for NOX enzymes. Nevertheless, the genome of S. cerevisiae contains nine ORFs showing sequence similarity to the catalytic subunits of mammalian NOX enzymes, only some of which have been functionally assigned as ferric reductases involved in iron ion transport. Here we show that one of the nine ORFs (YGL160W, AIM14) encodes a genuine NADPH oxidase, which is located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and produces superoxide in a NADPH-dependent fashion. We renamed this ORF YNO1 (yeast NADPH oxidase 1). Overexpression of YNO1 causes YCA1-dependent apoptosis, whereas deletion of the gene makes cells less sensitive to apoptotic stimuli. Several independent lines of evidence point to regulation of the actin cytoskeleton by reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by Yno1p.cell cycle | integral membrane reductase | wiskostatin | latrunculin R eactive oxygen species (ROS) have multiple roles in physiology and pathophysiology, in particular during aging and induction of programmed cell death. This includes also nonmitochondrial sources, besides the long-studied mitochondrially generated ROS. These findings can be viewed as important additions to the classical "free radical theory of aging" (1) and theories developed thereafter (2, 3).In higher organisms, among others, at least two major sources of superoxide other than mitochondria are known. On the one hand, xanthine oxidase, an enzyme in the catabolism of purines, which catalyses the oxidation of hypoxanthine to xanthine and to uric acid, produces superoxide (4). On the other hand, NADPH oxidases (NOX) catalyze the production of superoxide from oxygen and NADPH (5).The NADPH oxidase superfamily of membrane-located enzymes of higher cells has been known for a decade (for review, ref. 5). Whereas the human NOX2 was discovered early on, other NOX (Nox1/3/4/5) as well as dual oxidase (DUOX) (Duox1/2) enzymes (displaying two domains: a NADPH oxidase domain and a peroxidase domain) have been found relatively recently in human cells. The human NOX2 was discovered as a defense enzyme of neutrophils and macrophages, which produce a burst of superoxide (O 2 · − ) as a first line of defense against invading microorganisms. Although X-ray or NMR structure determinations are not available, we know from indirect evidence and bioinformatics that the catalytic subunit of the macrophage enzyme contains six transmembrane helices, is located in the plasma membrane, and produces superoxide in a vectorial ...