A team publishing in Aging Cell demonstrates that partial inhibition of pantothenate kinase reduces coenzyme A and iron-sulfur cluster levels, leading to HLH-30/TFEB activation and enhanced chaperone-mediated proteostasis in C. elegans and human cells. This mechanism improves stress resilience without lifespan extension, suggesting TFEB upregulation as a potential target for proteostasis disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Key points
- Partial inhibition of pantothenate kinase in C. elegans reduces CoA and ISC levels to activate HLH-30/TFEB–driven chaperone expression.
- RNAi-mediated PanK reduction boosts proteostasis under heat and chemical stress in C. elegans and human cell models.
- CoA supplementation reverses benefits, confirming that decreased CoA–ISC levels drive TFEB activation for enhanced protein folding.
Why it matters: Targeting the PanK–CoA–ISC–TFEB axis offers a novel strategy to enhance proteostasis, potentially treating age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Q&A
- What is proteostasis?
- How does TFEB regulate protein quality control?
- Why use C. elegans as a model organism?
- What role do iron-sulfur clusters play in this study?
- Can this approach treat human neurodegenerative diseases?