We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Levels of SIRT6 Linked to Neurodegenerative Disease

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 30 May 2017
Print article
Image: The structure of the human SIRT6 protein (Photo courtesy of the Protein Data Bank).
Image: The structure of the human SIRT6 protein (Photo courtesy of the Protein Data Bank).
Low levels of the protein SIRT6 (Sirtuin-6) have been linked to aging-like changes in cells including the hyperphosphorylation of Tau, a critical marker in several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

SIRT6 is a chromatin-associated protein that is required for normal base excision repair of DNA damage in mammalian cells. Deficiency of SIRT6 in mice leads to abnormalities that overlap with aging-associated degenerative processes. SIRT6 also promotes the repair of DNA double-strand breaks by the process of non-homologous end joining.

Investigators at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev worked with a line of mice that had been genetically engineered to lack the gene for SIRT6 specifically in brain tissue. They reported in the March 28, 2017, issue of the journal Cell Reports that while knockout mice completely lacking SIRT6 exhibited an accelerated aging phenotype and died prematurely, brain-specific SIRT6-deficient mice survived but presented behavioral defects with major learning impairments by four months of age. The brains of these mice showed increased signs of DNA damage, cell death, and hyperphosphorylated Tau.

At the molecular level SIRT6 was found to regulate Tau protein stability and phosphorylation through increased activation of the kinase enzyme glycogen synthase kinase 3 alpha/beta (GSK3alpha/beta).

The investigators also found that SIRT6 was almost completely absent in Alzheimer's disease patients, a finding that suggested to them that SIRT6 was critical for maintaining genomic stability in the brain and that its loss led to toxic Tau stability and phosphorylation.

Senior author Dr. Deborah Toiber, a molecular biologist at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, said, "If a decrease in SIRT6 and lack of DNA repair is the beginning of the chain that ends in neurodegenerative diseases in seniors, then we should be focusing our research on how to maintain production of SIRT6 and avoid the DNA damage that leads to these diseases."

Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
HLX
Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Test
GPP-100 Anti-CCP Kit
New
Gold Member
TORCH Panel Rapid Test
Rapid TORCH Panel Test

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: Reaching speeds up to 6,000 RPM, this centrifuge forms the basis for a new type of inexpensive, POC biomedical test (Photo courtesy of Duke University)

POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection

Exosomes, tiny cellular bioparticles carrying a specific set of proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, play a crucial role in cell communication and hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics.... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: MOF materials efficiently enrich cfDNA and cfRNA in blood through simple operational process (Photo courtesy of Science China Press)

Blood Circulating Nucleic Acid Enrichment Technique Enables Non-Invasive Liver Cancer Diagnosis

The ability to diagnose diseases early can significantly enhance the effectiveness of clinical treatments and improve survival rates. One promising approach for non-invasive early diagnosis is the use... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The low-cost portable device rapidly identifies chemotherapy patients at risk of sepsis (Photo courtesy of 52North Health)

POC Finger-Prick Blood Test Determines Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Neutropenia, a decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections), is a frequent side effect of certain cancer treatments. This condition elevates the risk of infections,... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The OvaCis Rapid Test discriminates benign from malignant epithelial ovarian cysts (Photo courtesy of INEX)

Intra-Operative POC Device Distinguishes Between Benign and Malignant Ovarian Cysts within 15 Minutes

Ovarian cysts represent a significant health issue for women globally, with up to 10% experiencing this condition at some point in their lives. These cysts form when fluid collects within a thin membrane... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.