Does Declining Mitochondrial NAD+ and Unscheduled Opening of Mitochondrial Transition Pore Promote Mammalian Aging?

Abstract SCI-3

The processes that lead to the susceptibility of post-mitotic tissues to diseases of aging are poorly understood, but mitochondria are considered a key regulator. SIRT3 is mitochondrial sirtuin, a member a family of NAD+-dependent deacetylases. We have previously shown that increased levels of NAD+ in mitochondria promote cell survival in a SIRT3-dependent manner, but how this protection is mediated is unknown. Here we show that mitochondrial NAD+ levels decline dramatically with age and that SIRT3 is a critical component and regulator of the mitochondrial transition pore (MTP). Mice lacking SIRT3 exhibit hyperacetylation of the MTP with age, and as a result, develop multiple defects in post-mitotic tissues as they age, including mitochondrial defects, susceptibility to cardiac failure, and learning and memory deficits. In a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD), SIRT3 knockout mice show striking phenotypes including small size, kyphosis, and a markedly reduced lifespan. Similar to mice, human brain samples show that acetylation of the MTP increases with age and with AD. These findings indicate that declining NAD levels with age lead to memory deficits and accelerate age-related diseases in post-mitotic tissues due to a decline in SIRT3 activity and unscheduled opening of the MTP.