L-Theanine Prolongs the Lifespan by Activating Multiple Molecular Pathways in Ultraviolet C-Exposed

Overview

Journal Molecules

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Biology

Date 2024 Jun 19

PMID 38893565

Authors

Liangwen Chen

Guijie Chen

Tingting Gai

Xiuhong Zhou

Jinchi Zhu

Ruiyi Wang

Xuemei Wang

Yujie Guo

Yun Wang

Zhongwen Xie

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

L-theanine, a unique non-protein amino acid, is an important bioactive component of green tea. Previous studies have shown that L-theanine has many potent health benefits, such as anti-anxiety effects, regulation of the immune response, relaxing neural tension, and reducing oxidative damage. However, little is known concerning whether L-theanine can improve the clearance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in organisms. Here, we reported that L-theanine treatment increased ATP production and improved mitochondrial morphology to extend the lifespan of UVC-exposed nematodes. Mechanistic investigations showed that L-theanine treatment enhanced the removal of mtDNA damage and extended lifespan by activating autophagy, mitophagy, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR) in UVC-exposed nematodes. In addition, L-theanine treatment also upregulated the expression of genes related to mitochondrial energy metabolism in UVC-exposed nematodes. Our study provides a theoretical basis for the possibility that tea drinking may prevent mitochondrial-related diseases.

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