Organismal proteostasis signaling networks

Dissecting the organismal signaling network: from neurons and germ cells to proteostasis in the soma BSF proposal-2017241 Veena Prahlad, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA Anat Ben-Zvi, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel Ehud Cohen, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

Abstract Aging is a complex process that is affected by many different signals and environmental conditions. At the molecular level aging may be a consequence of a failure of cellular quality control functions that leads to the accumulation of damaged proteins. Yet this failure in protein quality control can be abrogated by signals from the reproductive system and sensory neurons. Here we ask how signaling pathways that arise from the nervous system and reproductive system coordinate the health of the cell and organism. Because age-dependent reduction in cellular quality control increases the risk for many diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Huntington’s disease, deciphering how inter-tissue signaling enhances the intrinsic ability of the organism to cope with protein damage will provide novel tools to enhance healthy aging.