Plasma methionine metabolic profile is associated with longevity in mammals

Methionine metabolism arises as a key target to elucidate the molecular adaptations underlying animal longevity due to the negative association between longevity and methionine content. The present study follows a comparative approach to analyse plasma methionine metabolic profile using a LC-MS/MS platform from 11 mammalian species with a longevity ranging from 3.5 to 120 years. Our findings demonstrate the existence of a species-specific plasma profile for methionine metabolism associated with longevity characterised by: i) reduced methionine, cystathionine and choline; ii) increased non-polar amino acids; iii) reduced succinate and malate; and iv) increased carnitine. Our results support the existence of plasma longevity features that might respond to an optimised energetic metabolism and intracellular structures found in long-lived species. Mota-Martorell and colleagues use a comparative metabolomics approach to examine plasma metabolite levels associated with methionine metabolism in 11 mammalian species. They identify species specific plasma profiles indicative of a link between lifetime longevity and methionine metabolism.