来自“微观宇宙的平衡”卓越集群的一组科学家在单细胞生物中发现了一种以前未知的恢复活力机制。

Ateam of scientists from the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse" has discovered a previously unknown rejuvenation mechanism in unicellular organisms.

他们研究了单细胞微藻，它们是海洋食物链的基础。

They studied unicellular microalgae, which serve as the basis of food chains in the oceans.

相应的研究最近发表在科学杂志《自然微生物学》上。

The corresponding study was recently published in the scientific journal ‘Nature Microbiology.

单细胞生物，如微藻，通过细胞分裂繁殖。

Unicellular organisms, such as microalgae, reproduce by cell division.

但当它们可用的营养物质耗尽时，它们就会停止这个过程。

But when the nutrients available to them are exhausted, they stop this process.

细胞存活并老化，但不能再分裂。

The cells survive and age, but can no longer divide.

在海洋中，洋流确保这些“老”细胞可以被运送到营养更丰富的地区，这可以使新的细胞分裂。

In the ocean, currents ensure that these "old" cells can be transported to more nutrient-rich areas, which can enable renewed cell division.

该研究的第一作者、耶拿大学无机与分析化学研究所的博士后邓云博士和分析化学教授Georg Pohnert博士领导的研究小组现在发现，衰老细胞有一种恢复活力的机制，使它们能够再次分裂。

The research team led by Dr Yun Deng, postdoc at the Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry at the University of Jena and first author of the study, and Prof Dr Georg Pohnert, Professor of Analytical Chemistry, has now discovered that old cells have a rejuvenation mechanism that enables them to divide again.

研究人员发现，这些细胞分泌所谓的“囊泡”。

The researchers discovered that these cells secrete bubbles, so-called "vesicles".

它们将有害的代谢产物和毒素运输出细胞，为新细胞分裂创造条件。

These transport harmful metabolic products and toxins out of the cells, which creates the conditions for new cell division.

通过清除有害物质，细胞为新的细胞分裂创造了条件。

By getting rid of harmful substances, the cells create the conditions for new cell division.

研究人员还发现，这种恢复活力的过程是由细菌控制的。

The researchers also discovered that this rejuvenation process is controlled by bacteria.

这些细菌通过化学信号传导诱导囊泡产生，从而有助于恢复老细胞的分裂能力。

These bacteria induce vesicle production through chemical signaling and thus contribute to restoring the old cells' ability to divide.

Original publication

Yun Deng, Ruyi Yu, Veit Grabe, Thomas Sommermann, Markus Werner, Marine Vallet, Christian Zerfaß, Oliver Werz, Georg Pohnert; "Bacteria modulate microalgal aging physiology through the induction of extracellular vesicle production to remove harmful metabolites"; Nature Microbiology, 2024-8-14