An insulin-sensitive Drosophila insulin-like receptor mutant remodels methionine metabolism to extend lifespan.

Insulin/insulin growth factor signaling is a conserved pathway that regulates lifespan across many species. Multiple mechanisms are proposed for how this altered signaling slows aging. To elaborate these causes, we recently developed a series of Drosophila insulin-like receptor (dInr) mutants with s...

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Main Authors: Marc Tatar, Wenjing Zheng, Shweta Yadav, Rochele Yamamoto, Noelle Curtis-Joseph, Shengxi Li, Lin Wang, Andrey A Parkhitko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-06-01
Series:PLoS Genetics
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011640
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author Marc Tatar
Wenjing Zheng
Shweta Yadav
Rochele Yamamoto
Noelle Curtis-Joseph
Shengxi Li
Lin Wang
Andrey A Parkhitko
author_facet Marc Tatar
Wenjing Zheng
Shweta Yadav
Rochele Yamamoto
Noelle Curtis-Joseph
Shengxi Li
Lin Wang
Andrey A Parkhitko
author_sort Marc Tatar
collection DOAJ
description Insulin/insulin growth factor signaling is a conserved pathway that regulates lifespan across many species. Multiple mechanisms are proposed for how this altered signaling slows aging. To elaborate these causes, we recently developed a series of Drosophila insulin-like receptor (dInr) mutants with single amino acid substitutions that extend lifespan but differentially affect insulin sensitivity, growth and reproduction. Transheterozygotes of canonical dInr mutants (Type I) extend longevity and are insulin-resistant, small and weakly fecund. In contrast, a dominant mutation (dInr353, Type II) within the Kinase Insert Domain (KID) robustly extends longevity but is insulin-sensitive, full-sized, and highly fecund. We applied transcriptome and metabolome analyses to explore how dInr353 slows aging without insulin resistance. Type I and II mutants overlap in many pathways but also produce distinct transcriptomic profiles that include differences in innate immune and reproductive functions. In metabolomic analyses, the KID mutant dInr353 reprograms methionine metabolism in a way that phenocopies dietary methionine restriction, in contrast to canonical mutants which are characterized by upregulation of the transsulfuration pathway. Because abrogation of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase blocks the longevity benefit conferred by dInr353, we conclude the methionine cycle reprogramming of Type II is sufficient to slow aging. Metabolomic analysis further revealed the Type II mutant is metabolically flexible: unlike aged wildtype, aged dInr353 adults can reroute methionine toward the transsulfuration pathway, while Type I mutant flies upregulate the transsulfuration pathway continuously from young age. Altered insulin/insulin growth factor signaling has the potential to slow aging without the complications of insulin resistance by modulating methionine cycle dynamics.
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spelling doaj-art-cc69c7f0d36d4c53a5bd96fafd5ec0012025-08-20T03:28:55ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Genetics1553-73901553-74042025-06-01216e101164010.1371/journal.pgen.1011640An insulin-sensitive Drosophila insulin-like receptor mutant remodels methionine metabolism to extend lifespan.Marc TatarWenjing ZhengShweta YadavRochele YamamotoNoelle Curtis-JosephShengxi LiLin WangAndrey A ParkhitkoInsulin/insulin growth factor signaling is a conserved pathway that regulates lifespan across many species. Multiple mechanisms are proposed for how this altered signaling slows aging. To elaborate these causes, we recently developed a series of Drosophila insulin-like receptor (dInr) mutants with single amino acid substitutions that extend lifespan but differentially affect insulin sensitivity, growth and reproduction. Transheterozygotes of canonical dInr mutants (Type I) extend longevity and are insulin-resistant, small and weakly fecund. In contrast, a dominant mutation (dInr353, Type II) within the Kinase Insert Domain (KID) robustly extends longevity but is insulin-sensitive, full-sized, and highly fecund. We applied transcriptome and metabolome analyses to explore how dInr353 slows aging without insulin resistance. Type I and II mutants overlap in many pathways but also produce distinct transcriptomic profiles that include differences in innate immune and reproductive functions. In metabolomic analyses, the KID mutant dInr353 reprograms methionine metabolism in a way that phenocopies dietary methionine restriction, in contrast to canonical mutants which are characterized by upregulation of the transsulfuration pathway. Because abrogation of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase blocks the longevity benefit conferred by dInr353, we conclude the methionine cycle reprogramming of Type II is sufficient to slow aging. Metabolomic analysis further revealed the Type II mutant is metabolically flexible: unlike aged wildtype, aged dInr353 adults can reroute methionine toward the transsulfuration pathway, while Type I mutant flies upregulate the transsulfuration pathway continuously from young age. Altered insulin/insulin growth factor signaling has the potential to slow aging without the complications of insulin resistance by modulating methionine cycle dynamics.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011640
spellingShingle Marc Tatar
Wenjing Zheng
Shweta Yadav
Rochele Yamamoto
Noelle Curtis-Joseph
Shengxi Li
Lin Wang
Andrey A Parkhitko
An insulin-sensitive Drosophila insulin-like receptor mutant remodels methionine metabolism to extend lifespan.
PLoS Genetics
title An insulin-sensitive Drosophila insulin-like receptor mutant remodels methionine metabolism to extend lifespan.
title_full An insulin-sensitive Drosophila insulin-like receptor mutant remodels methionine metabolism to extend lifespan.
title_fullStr An insulin-sensitive Drosophila insulin-like receptor mutant remodels methionine metabolism to extend lifespan.
title_full_unstemmed An insulin-sensitive Drosophila insulin-like receptor mutant remodels methionine metabolism to extend lifespan.
title_short An insulin-sensitive Drosophila insulin-like receptor mutant remodels methionine metabolism to extend lifespan.
title_sort insulin sensitive drosophila insulin like receptor mutant remodels methionine metabolism to extend lifespan
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011640
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