Translation and Amino Acid Homeostasis in Aging

Cellular proteostasis is a prerequisite for cellular homeostasis and a major determinant of aging. Translation is the first step in the proteostasis network and is tightly regulated to control the amount and quality of protein synthesis. During translation, ribosomes incorporate amino acids into peptides which then fold into functional proteins, a process assisted by multiple translation factors. We are interested in how amino acid metabolism and translation factors regulate cellular proteostasis in response to stresses and aging. Specifically we are testing whether enhancing translational efficiency may improve proteostasis and delay aging.