Use light energy to extend human life?! New research in Nature has found that light-activated proton pumps produce cellular energy

A new study published in the journal Natural Aging borrows a page from the field of renewable energy and shows that genetically engineered mitochondria can convert light energy into chemical energy that cells can use, ultimately extending the lifespan
of C.
elegans.

While the use of sunlight-charged cells in humans is more science fiction than science, the findings shed light on important mechanisms
in the aging process.

"We know that mitochondrial dysfunction is a consequence of aging, and this study found that simply harnessing light-energy mitochondria to boost metabolism can allow laboratory nematodes to live longer, healthier
lives.
" These findings and new research tools will allow us to further study mitochondria and identify new ways
to treat age-related diseases and healthier aging.
”

Mitochondria are organelles
found in most cells of the human body.
Often referred to as cellular power plants, mitochondria use glucose to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a compound that powers key cellular functions, such as muscle contractions and electrical impulses
that help nerve cells communicate with each other.

The production of adenosine triphosphate is the result of a series of reactions that are achieved by the exchange of protons on membranes that separate different regions in mitochondria, culminating in a process
called membrane potential.
Studies have shown that membrane potential, which declines with age, may play a role in some age-related diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases
.

The new study involves Caenorhabditis elegans, a microscopic organism that, like fruit flies, has long been a research tool used by scientists to understand basic biological principles that, in many cases, apply to the entire animal kingdom
.

To conduct the experiment, a team of researchers from the United States and Germany employed an existing research tool that allowed them to manipulate the activity of
mitochondria.
The technique, known as optogenetics, has traditionally been used to target and activate specific neurons, allowing researchers to more precisely study patterns of
brain activity.

The researchers genetically engineered the mitochondria of C.
elegans to contain a light-activated proton pump obtained from the fungus, an achievement the team first described in a paper published in the journal EMBO Reports in 2020
.
In the new study, when exposed to light, the proton pump sends charged ions through the cell membrane, using the energy of light to charge
mitochondria.
This process, known to the researchers as mtON, increases membrane potential and ATP production, and leads to a 30-40%
increase in the lifespan of nematodes.

Dr Brandon Berry, first author of both studies, said, "Mitochondria are similar to industrial power plants in that they burn carbon sources, mainly glucose, to produce useful energy for cells, and what we do is basically connect solar panels to
existing power plant infrastructure.
" In this case, solar panels are optogenetic tools
.
Normal mitochondrial mechanisms are able to use light energy to provide ATP, in addition to the normal combustion pathway
.
”

This study is important because it provides researchers with more insight into the complex biological role mitochondria play in the human body, a topic
that the scientific community is only now beginning to understand.
The study also creates a new way
to manipulate and study mitochondria in a living cell environment.
This can serve as an important platform
for studying mitochondria and identifying ways to intervene and support function.

Berry said: "We need to know more about how mitochondria really behave
in animals.
First in nematodes, as in the current study, and then in
cultured human cells and rodents.
In this way, future studies will fully understand the most likely participants
in human disease and aging.
”