What role does the SIRT6 enzyme play in brain health according to Ben-Gurion University?

SIRT6 acts as a metabolic switch, regulating tryptophan distribution to balance energy production and neurotransmitter synthesis, crucial for preventing cognitive decline.

How does aging affect tryptophan metabolism and brain function?

Aging reduces SIRT6 activity, diverting tryptophan to a pathway producing nerve-damaging toxins and decreasing vital neurotransmitters like serotonin.

What is the potential therapeutic approach identified by the researchers?

The research suggests inhibiting the TDO2 enzyme or enhancing SIRT6 activity to correct tryptophan imbalance and prevent neurological damage.

Home / Health / Aging Brains: New Enzyme Key to Memory and Mood

Aging Brains: New Enzyme Key to Memory and Mood

22 Dec

•

Summary

Enzyme SIRT6 controls tryptophan metabolism, impacting brain health.
Imbalance diverts tryptophan, creating toxic byproducts damaging nerves.
Targeting TDO2 or boosting SIRT6 offers potential therapeutic avenues.

Aging Brains: New Enzyme Key to Memory and Mood

A groundbreaking study has identified a crucial molecular mechanism explaining the link between aging, neurological disease, and cognitive decline. Researchers discovered that the longevity-linked enzyme SIRT6 acts as an active metabolic switch in the brain, regulating tryptophan distribution. This enzyme is vital for brain health, influencing pathways that produce cellular energy and neurotransmitters like serotonin and melatonin.

As SIRT6 activity diminishes with age and in neurodegenerative disorders, tryptophan is diverted to the kynurenine pathway. This process not only reduces essential neurotransmitter production but also generates byproducts toxic to nerve cells. Scientists demonstrated that inhibiting the TDO2 enzyme, which pushes tryptophan into this pathway, can prevent neurological damage and cognitive impairment, suggesting a clear therapeutic target.