Sirtuin signaling in cellular senescence and aging

Sirtuin is an essential factor that delays cellular senescence and extends the organismal lifespan through the regulation of diverse cellular processes. Suppression of cellular senescence by Sirtuin is mainly mediated through delaying the age-related telomere attrition, sustaining genome integrity and promotion of DNA damage repair. In addition, Sirtuin modulates the organismal lifespan by interacting with several lifespan regulating signaling pathways including insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway, AMP-activated protein kinase, and forkhead box O. Although still controversial, it is suggested that the prolongevity effect of Sirtuin is dependent with the level of and with the tissue expression of Sirtuin. Since Sirtuin is also believed to mediate the prolongevity effect of calorie restriction, activators of Sirtuin have attracted the attention of researchers to develop therapeutics for age-related diseases. Resveratrol, a phytochemical rich in the skin of red grapes and wine, has been actively investigated to activate Sirtuin activity with consequent beneficial effects on aging. This article reviews the evidences and controversies regarding the roles of Sirtuin on cellular senescence and lifespan extension, and summarizes the activators of Sirtuin including Sirtuin-activating compounds and compounds that increase the cellular level of nicotinamide dinucleotide.