CONSERVATION OF RIBOSOMAL FIDELITY DURING AGING

The function of ribosomes prepared from the liver of young (2-5 months old) and senescent (15-26 months old) mice were compared in vitro. The conclusions that can be drawn from this study are: (1) translational activity of polysomes and purified ribosomes from the liver of senescent mice is 10 to 40% lower than that of young mice; (2) the fidelity of translation does not change grossly with age; (3) the thermosensitivity of translational activity of ribosomes and the activity of ribosome-associated ribonuclease do not change with age; (4) there is an age-dependent accumulation of free 40S ribosomal subunits in the cytoplasm of mouse liver. The relation of age-dependent changes in the structure and function of ribosomes is discussed. © 1979.