Almost since the discovery that mutations in the LMNA gene, encoding the nuclear structure components lamin A and C, lead to Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, people have speculated that lamins may have a role in normal aging. The most common HPGS mutation creates a splice variant of lamin A, progerin, which promotes accelerated aging pathology. While some evidence exists that progerin accumulates with normal aging, an increasing body of work indicates that prelamin A, a precursor of lamin A prior to C-terminal proteolytic processing, accumulates with age and may be a driver of normal aging. Prelamin A shares properties with progerin and is also linked to a rare progeroid disease, restrictive dermopathy. Here, we describe mechanisms underlying changes in prelamin A with aging and lay out the case that this unprocessed protein impacts normative aging. This is important since intervention strategies can be developed to modify this pathway as a means to extend healthspan and lifespan.
Keywords: aging; lamin A; mTOR; prelamin A; zmpste24.