Acetic acid effects on aging in budding yeast: Are they relevant to aging in higher eukaryotes?

In a recent issue of Cell Cycle, Burtner et al. presented evidence that the accumulation of acetic acid in stationary phase budding yeast cultures is “the primary mechanism of chronological aging in yeast”.1 Burtner et al. suggest that “how acetic acid-induced cell death could contribute to aging in higher organisms is not readily apparent.” We also recently investigated the effects of pH on chronological lifespan (CLS) of budding yeast. The results of our experiments and those of previous studies point to a mechanism of acetic acid toxicity in yeast related to the induction of growth signaling pathways and oxidative stress. These mechanisms are relevant to aging in all eukaryotes.