Translational error in mice increases with ageing in an organ-dependent manner

Abstract The accuracy of protein synthesis and its relation to ageing has been of long-standing interest. To study whether spontaneous changes in the rate of ribosomal error occur as a function of age, we first determined that stop-codon readthrough is a more sensitive read-out of mistranslation due...

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Main Authors: Erik C. Böttger, Harshitha Santhosh Kumar, Adrian Steiner, Emmanuel Sotirakis, Kader Thiam, Patricia Isnard Petit, Petra Seebeck, David P. Wolfer, Dimitri Shcherbakov, Rashid Akbergenov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-02-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57203-z
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author Erik C. Böttger
Harshitha Santhosh Kumar
Adrian Steiner
Emmanuel Sotirakis
Kader Thiam
Patricia Isnard Petit
Petra Seebeck
David P. Wolfer
Dimitri Shcherbakov
Rashid Akbergenov
author_facet Erik C. Böttger
Harshitha Santhosh Kumar
Adrian Steiner
Emmanuel Sotirakis
Kader Thiam
Patricia Isnard Petit
Petra Seebeck
David P. Wolfer
Dimitri Shcherbakov
Rashid Akbergenov
author_sort Erik C. Böttger
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The accuracy of protein synthesis and its relation to ageing has been of long-standing interest. To study whether spontaneous changes in the rate of ribosomal error occur as a function of age, we first determined that stop-codon readthrough is a more sensitive read-out of mistranslation due to codon-anticodon mispairing than missense amino acid incorporation. Subsequently, we developed knock-in mice for in-vivo detection of stop-codon readthrough using a gain-of-function Kat2-TGA-Fluc readthrough reporter which combines fluorescent and sensitive bioluminescent imaging techniques. We followed expression of reporter proteins in-vivo over time, and assessed Kat2 and Fluc expression in tissue extracts and by whole organ ex-vivo imaging. Collectively, our results provide evidence for an organ-dependent, age-related increase in translational error: stop-codon readthrough increases with age in muscle (+ 75%, p < 0.001) and brain (+ 50%, p < 0.01), but not in liver (p > 0.5). Together with recent data demonstrating premature ageing in mice with an error-prone ram mutation, our findings highlight age-related decline of translation fidelity as a possible contributor to ageing.
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spelling doaj-art-dc79bb1a66334ff68c3c1cc102b48ef82025-08-20T02:16:34ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-02-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-57203-zTranslational error in mice increases with ageing in an organ-dependent mannerErik C. Böttger0Harshitha Santhosh Kumar1Adrian Steiner2Emmanuel Sotirakis3Kader Thiam4Patricia Isnard Petit5Petra Seebeck6David P. Wolfer7Dimitri Shcherbakov8Rashid Akbergenov9Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität ZürichInstitut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität ZürichAnatomisches Institut, Universität Zürich, and Institut für Bewegungswissenschaften und Sport, ETH ZürichgenOway, F-69362genOway, F-69362genOway, F-69362Zurich Integrative Rodent Physiology (ZIRP), University of ZurichAnatomisches Institut, Universität Zürich, and Institut für Bewegungswissenschaften und Sport, ETH ZürichInstitut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität ZürichInstitut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität ZürichAbstract The accuracy of protein synthesis and its relation to ageing has been of long-standing interest. To study whether spontaneous changes in the rate of ribosomal error occur as a function of age, we first determined that stop-codon readthrough is a more sensitive read-out of mistranslation due to codon-anticodon mispairing than missense amino acid incorporation. Subsequently, we developed knock-in mice for in-vivo detection of stop-codon readthrough using a gain-of-function Kat2-TGA-Fluc readthrough reporter which combines fluorescent and sensitive bioluminescent imaging techniques. We followed expression of reporter proteins in-vivo over time, and assessed Kat2 and Fluc expression in tissue extracts and by whole organ ex-vivo imaging. Collectively, our results provide evidence for an organ-dependent, age-related increase in translational error: stop-codon readthrough increases with age in muscle (+ 75%, p < 0.001) and brain (+ 50%, p < 0.01), but not in liver (p > 0.5). Together with recent data demonstrating premature ageing in mice with an error-prone ram mutation, our findings highlight age-related decline of translation fidelity as a possible contributor to ageing.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57203-z
spellingShingle Erik C. Böttger
Harshitha Santhosh Kumar
Adrian Steiner
Emmanuel Sotirakis
Kader Thiam
Patricia Isnard Petit
Petra Seebeck
David P. Wolfer
Dimitri Shcherbakov
Rashid Akbergenov
Translational error in mice increases with ageing in an organ-dependent manner
Nature Communications
title Translational error in mice increases with ageing in an organ-dependent manner
title_full Translational error in mice increases with ageing in an organ-dependent manner
title_fullStr Translational error in mice increases with ageing in an organ-dependent manner
title_full_unstemmed Translational error in mice increases with ageing in an organ-dependent manner
title_short Translational error in mice increases with ageing in an organ-dependent manner
title_sort translational error in mice increases with ageing in an organ dependent manner
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57203-z
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