Altered methionine metabolism in long living Ames dwarf mice

Ames dwarf mice (df/df) are deficient in growth hormone, prolactin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone and live significantly longer than their normal siblings. In the current study, we found that the hormone deficiencies affect methionine metabolism. We previously reported that the dwarf mice exhibit enzyme activities and levels that combat oxidative stress more efficiently than those of normal mice. Moreover, methionine or metabolites of methionine are involved in antioxidative processes. Thus, we performed an experiment that compared various parameters of methionine metabolism between 18-month old male dwarf ( N=6) and wild type ( N=5) mice. The specific activity of liver methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) was significantly elevated (205%, p