A schematic showing calorie restriction–induced lithocholic acid accumulation and signaling. [Photo/en.xmu.edu.cn]
The China Union of Life Sciences Societies has announced the 2025 Top 10 Scientific Advances in Life Sciences of China, recognizing a breakthrough by Academician Lin Shengcai's team at Xiamen University's School of Life Sciences the molecular effectors and mechanisms of calorie restriction in promoting health and longevity.
This is the team's third time receiving the award, following earlier honors in 2017 and 2022. The findings have attracted widespread attention, with efforts to translate them into practical applications now underway.
Calorie restriction, a dietary regimen known to enhance health and extend lifespan, remains the only intervention consistently showing beneficial effects across multiple animal models.
Lin's team discovered that the serum of calorie-restricted mice exhibited a dramatic increase in lithocholic acid, a compound that, when administered to normally fed mice, nematodes, and fruit flies, replicated the health-promoting and anti-aging effects of dietary restriction.
Further investigation identified TULP3 as the receptor for lithocholic acid. Upon binding, TULP3 activates sirtuins, which remove acetyl groups from the V1E1 subunit of the proton pump, linking to the lysosomal AMPK pathway previously identified by the team.
This molecular cascade underlies the observed health and longevity benefits, providing both a mechanistic explanation and potential new targets for interventions that mimic calorie restriction.
