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Reproduction

Slowing reproductive ageing by preserving BCAT-1

In this issue of Nature Metabolism, it is shown that the abundance of Caenorhabditis elegans branched-chain aminotransferase-1 (BCAT-1) — which catalyses the first step of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism — declines sharply in aged wild-type nematodes but not in slowly ageing mutants, and that stimulating BCAA catabolism extends reproductive longevity.

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Fig. 1: Proposed mechanism through which BCAT-1 may delay reproductive ageing.

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Correspondence to Patrick C. Bradshaw.

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Jamerson, L.E., Bradshaw, P.C. Slowing reproductive ageing by preserving BCAT-1. Nat Metab 6, 610–612 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-01009-8

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