Project description
Bats may hold a secret to longer healthier lives via protein homeostasis
Proteostasis is the protein equivalent of homeostasis, precisely controlling the synthesis, folding, conformational maintenance and degradation of the entire proteome of a cell. Orchestrating this very large symphony does not rely on a single conductor but on a complex and adaptive proteostasis network. Dysfunction of this network can lead to increased levels of misfolded proteins or aggregation, which are linked to ageing and some neurodegenerative diseases. The EU-funded ComBATageing project is studying the potential role of intracellular proteostasis, particularly the role of autophagy, in the unusual longevity of bats. Autophagy is the proteolytic process by which cells remove potentially toxic protein aggregates and damaged organelles. Combined with phylogenomic studies of adaptive selection in proteostasis-associated genes in bats and other mammals, the outcomes could shed light on the role of proteostasis in normal ageing and disease.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF-EF-SE - Society and Enterprise panel
Coordinator
20132 Milano
Italy
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