A review of 101 long-lived species identified three shared processes: DNA maintenance, the capacity of cells to renew tissues, and stress resistance

A review of 101 long-lived species identified three shared processes: DNA maintenance, the capacity of cells to renew tissues, and stress resistance

On September 8, Aging published a review of 101 multicellular species with maximum lifespans of at least 250 years. The sample included 11 animal species and 90 plant species. The authors examined differences in lifespan among individuals within a species and across species.

The authors considered two questions together: why individuals of the same long-lived species live for different lengths of time, and how long-lived species differ from shorter-lived species. They looked for processes common to both comparisons.

Three processes emerged in both comparisons. DNA maintenance helps repair damage. Stem cell properties allow certain cells to divide and produce different types of tissue cells. Stress resistance helps cells respond to adverse conditions and the damage associated with them.

In their comparison across species, the authors also discuss regeneration and tumor suppression. Hydra provides a direct example of regeneration: it replaces all the cells in its body, including aging cells, roughly every twenty days. In Scots pine and ginkgo, cells in the root growth zone retain their ability to develop into different cell types as the plants age; in the shorter-lived Arabidopsis, this ability declines over time.

The authors link the three shared processes to early developmental stages and germ cells, and conclude the review with the statement: “Staying young appears to be a strategy for living a long life.”