Optimization of in vitro measurement of proteasome activity in mammalian cells using fluorogenic substrates.

The proteasome is the major multi-catalytic machinery responsible for protein degradation and maintenance of the proteome. The 26S proteasome is an ATP-dependent proteolytic complex, dedicated to the degradation of poly-ubiquitinated proteins. It consists of a 20S proteolytic core and one or two flanking 19S regulatory complexes.

Enhanced proteasome degradation extends Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan and alleviates aggregation-related pathologies.

Collapse of proteostasis and accumulation of damaged macromolecules have been recognized as hallmarks of aging and age-related diseases. The proteasome is the major cellular protease responsible for intracellular protein degradation, having an impaired function during aging. We have previously shown that proteasome activation through overexpression of β5 proteasome subunit delays replicative senescence and confers resistance to oxidative stress in primary fibroblasts.