Effect of zinc on cellular poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation capacity

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a posttranslational protein modification, which is catalyzed by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and plays a role in DNA repair and maintenance of genomic stability. A decrease in cellular poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation has been implicated in the aging process. As PARP-1 is a zinc finger protein its decreased function might be related to age-related zinc deficiency. To test this hypothesis we assessed cellular poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation capacity in 29 donors from Greece, Italy and Poland as function of age and nutritional zinc status. Our results reveal a positive correlation between cellular poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation capacity and zinc status in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (p < 0.05). We could also confirm a decrease of PARP-1 activity with donor age, highlighting the role of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in the aging process. The results demonstrate that zinc supplementation in elderly people can increase the cellular poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation capacity of their PBMC. We speculate that this may help maintain integrity and stability of the genome more efficiently and thus contribute to an extension of healthspan.