The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism: possible implications for gerontological studies

Abstract

Experimental gerontology is based on the fundamental assumption that the aging process has a universal character and that the mechanisms of aging are well-conserved among living things. The consequence of this assumption is the use of various organisms, including unicellular yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as models in gerontology, and direct extrapolation of the conclusions drawn from the studies carried on these organisms to human beings. However, numerous arguments suggest that aging is not universal and its mechanisms are not conserved in a wide range of species. Instead, senescence can be treated as a side effect of the evolution of specific features for systematic group, unrelated to the passage of time. Hence, depending on the properties of the group, the senescence and proximal causes of death could have a diverse nature. We postulate that the selection of a model organism to explain the mechanism of human aging and human longevity should be preceded by the analysis of its potential to extrapolate the results to a wide group of organisms. Considering that gerontology is a human-oriented discipline and that aging involves complex, systemic changes affecting the entire organism, the object of experimental studies should be animals which are closest relatives of human beings in evolutionary terms, rather than lower organisms, which do not have sufficient complexity in terms of tissues and organ structures.

Yeast as a tool to identify anti-aging compounds

“… 2015 ; Janssens and Veenhoff 2016 ; Knorre et al. 2016 ; Bilinski, Bylak and Zadrag-Tecza 2017 ; Postnikoff, Johnson and Tyler 2017 ; Carmona-Gutierrez et al. 2018 ).…”

The role of NAD and NAD precursors on longevity and lifespan modulation in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae

“…It is a model organism of choice due to its relatively short lifespan, well-characterized genome, and easy genetic engineering with myriad protocols readily available (Dakik et al 2020 ; Kaeberlein 2010 ). S. cerevisiae has become the most extensively used eukaryote in the study of aging (Arlia-Ciommo et al 2014 ; Bilinski et al 2017 ), cell cycle (Musa, et al 2018 ; Leonov et al 2017 ), gene expression (Postnikoff et al 2017 ; Ksiazek 2010 ), metabolism (Baccolo et al 2018 ; Croft et al 2020 ), signal transduction (Hohmann et al 2007 ; Babazadeh et al 2014 ), and apoptosis (Baroni et al 2020 ; Owsianowski et al 2008 ). Hence, to understand the complexity of organismal lifespan in a model organism (e.g., yeast S. cerevisiae ), aging studies are often designed to; (i) identify underlying causes of aging and in extension the associated physiological cellular damage it causes (ii) to devise strategies for the delay and possible reversal of aging development, (iii) and thirdly, to limit cell vulnerability to a wide range of aging inducing conditions.…”

Senescence as a trade-off between successful land colonisation and longevity: critical review and analysis of a hypothesis

“…, in mammals and birds). In turn, maintaining regenerative capacity prevents or reduce appearance the symptoms of senescence, what can be observed in species, which show ability to continuous growth ( Bilinski, Bylak & Zadrag-Tecza, 2016 ; Bilinski, Bylak & Zadrag-Tecza, 2017 ). The analysis shows that aging patterns which includes increasing, constant, and decreasing mortality with aging differ between species depending on their ability to determinate or continuous (indeterminate) growth.…”

“…The relationship between the evolution of senescence and the ability to populate terrestrial habitats requires explanation. In our earlier studies ( Bilinski, Bylak & Zadrag-Tecza, 2016 ; Bilinski, Bylak & Zadrag-Tecza, 2017 ), we postulated that senescence and “unavoidable” mortality for most groups of animals are not genuine traits but side effects of the evolution of other important traits (known as spandrels) ( Gould, 1997 ; Gould & Lewontin, 1979 ). Therefore, senescence is not an adaptive trait ( Fig.…”