Calorie Restriction Pathways in Different Species
In yeast, SIR2 has been implicated downstream of mitochondrial changes in response to calorie restriction (CR), whereas in mammals the SIR2 ortholog SIRT1 has been implicated upstream of mitochondrial changes. In C. elegans, sirtuins have not been implicated in dietary restriction to date. The pathway in mice shows that the increase in mitochondrial number and activity may work via the mitochondrial sirtuins SIRT3, 4, and 5 or by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS). The drug Resveratrol and CR may increase SIRT1 activity, which is part of an autoregulatory feedback loop that includes the enzyme endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS).