The anti-aging mechanisms of Catalpol by elevating mitophagy

Autophagy is an important mechanism for maintaining cell homeostasis, and its decline in function is widely regarded as a key factor in aging. Catalpol (CAT), an active compound derived from the traditional Chinese herb Rehmannia glutinosa, has shown potential to treat various age-related diseases through the regulation of autophagy. However, how CAT exerts anti-aging effects by regulating autophagy remains unclear. Therefore, this study sought to explore the anti-aging potential and molecular mechanisms, particularly the role of CAT in autophagy and mitochondrial function in yeast cells. The PI-CLS measurement method was employed to demonstrate enhanced yeast cells viability upon CAT treatment. RNA-Seq combined with bioinformatics analyses identified HSP82 as a key target of CAT. HSP82 knockout and HSP82 overexpression strains were employed to demonstrate that CAT enhances mitochondrial functions and extends cells lifespan by inducing HSP82-dependent mitophagy. We concluded that CAT plays an anti-aging role by regulating HSP82-dependent mitophagy and mitochondrial functions in yeast cells.