Abstract
Lipids were determinants in the appearance and evolution of life. Recent studies disclose the existence of a link between lipids and animal longevity. Findings from both comparative studies and genetics and nutritional interventions in invertebrates, vertebrates, and exceptionally long-lived animal species—humans included—demonstrate that both the cell membrane fatty acid profile and lipidome are a species-specific optimized evolutionary adaptation and traits associated with longevity. All these emerging observations point to lipids as a key target to study the molecular mechanisms underlying differences in longevity and suggest the existence of a lipidome profile of long life.
Highlights
IntroductionIn contrast to life expectancy ( named mean lifespan, and frequently and wrongly termed “longevity”) that may be modified depending on living conditions, maximum longevity ( referred to as “longevity” for practical purposes) is a species-specific feature
In contrast to life expectancy that may be modified depending on living conditions, maximum longevity is a species-specific feature
The seminal finding of a link between membrane unsaturation and longevity was the work of Pamplona et al (1996) [72], which revealed that the PI of liver mitochondria from humans, pigeons and rats was negatively correlated with their respective longevities
Summary
In contrast to life expectancy ( named mean lifespan, and frequently and wrongly termed “longevity”) that may be modified depending on living conditions, maximum longevity ( referred to as “longevity” for practical purposes) is a species-specific feature. Evidence accumulated during the last 25 years demonstrate that lipids are determinant players of animal (and human) longevity. Genomic studies demonstrate that genetic changes in genes controlling lipid metabolism play a role in human longevity [17,18,19,20], as well as in longevity differences among animal species [21,22] and lipid studies on changes in membrane lipid unsaturation and lipidomic profiles (see sections) among animal species clearly point to lipids as a good potential target for research on molecular mechanisms underlying differences in longevity among animal species. Molecules 2020, 25, x FOR PEER REVIEW as a good potential target for research on molecular mechanisms underlying differences in longevity among animal species
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