These unsaturated FAs function mainly through classic longevity factors, such as DAF-16/FOXO3, SKN-1/Nrf2, and HSF-1/HSF1, to regulate healthspan and lifespan ( Labbadia et al., 2015 Steinbaugh et al., 2015 Papsdorf and Brunet, 2019).ĭespite these advances linking FA to longevity regulation, little is known about their mechanisms of action. Moreover, studies in model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans have revealed that various FA species could extend lifespan when supplemented in the diet, which includes monosaturated oleic acid, palmitoleic acid, cis-vaccenic acid, and oleoylethanolamine, as well as polyunsaturated a-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, and dihomo-g-linolenic acid ( Goudeau et al., 2011 Rourke et al., 2013 Folick et al., 2015 Han et al., 2017 Qi et al., 2017). The contents, composition, and metabolism of fatty acid (FA) are altered in aged or long-lived humans and model organisms ( Papsdorf and Brunet, 2019). The relationship between lipids and aging has been well recognized. Further, the functions of different phospholipid molecules in regulating healthspan and lifespan, as well as their potential mechanisms of action, were also discussed. We surveyed how major phospholipid species change with age in different organisms and tissues, and some common patterns of membrane lipid change during aging were proposed. In this study, we summarized current advances in our understanding of the relationship between membrane lipids and aging with an emphasis on phospholipid species.

Recently, crucial roles for membrane lipids in the aging process are beginning to emerge. Numerous studies have linked the complexity of membrane lipids to signal transductions, organelle functions, as well as physiological processes, and human diseases.

This basic cellular structure acts as a barrier to protect the cell against various environmental insults and more importantly, enables multiple cellular processes to occur in subcellular compartments. Phospholipids are major membrane lipids that consist of lipid bilayers.

School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.

Yucan Dai, Haiqing Tang * and Shanshan Pang *

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