Small molecule activators of sirtuins extend Saccharomyces cerevisiae lifespan

Howitz KT, Bitterman KJ, Cohen HY, et al. · Nature

The origin of the 'resveratrol activates sirtuins' claim: in a fluorescence-based assay resveratrol enhanced SIRT1 activity, and it extended replicative lifespan in yeast — the mechanistic basis later invoked for pairing a sirtuin 'activator' with an NAD+ precursor such as NMN.

Population

Purified SIRT1 enzyme assays and budding yeast

Intervention

Resveratrol and other candidate sirtuin-activating compounds

Comparator

Untreated enzyme / yeast

Limitations

Yeast and biochemistry; the fluorophore-tagged assay behind the activation claim was later challenged with native substrates (pmid-20061378). First author affiliated with BIOMOL, a commercial research-reagent company.