Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42014687›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Oxidative stress causes a reversible decrease of deubiquitylases activity in old vertebrate brains.

Amit Kumar Sahu, Alberto Minetti, Domenico Di Fraia, Antonio Marino, Patrick Rainer Winterhalter, Daniela Giustarini, Ranieri Rossi, Andreas Simm, Francesco Neri, Federico Galvagni and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Amit Kumar SahuLeibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0063-5447
Alberto MinettiLeibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena, Germany.
Domenico Di FraiaLeibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena, Germany.
Antonio MarinoLeibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena, Germany.
Patrick Rainer WinterhalterClinic for Heart Surgery (UMH), Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
Daniela GiustariniDepartment of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Ranieri RossiDepartment of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Andreas SimmClinic for Heart Surgery (UMH), Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
Francesco NeriLeibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-3903-1974
Federico GalvagniDepartment of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1967-9554
Christoph GerhardtInstitute for Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Health and Medical University Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6340-549X
Thorsten PfirrmannInstitute for Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Health and Medical University Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany. thorsten.pfirrmann@hmu-potsdam.de.ORCID 0000-0002-9474-9535
Alessandro OriLeibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena, Germany. alessandro.ori@leibniz-fli.de.ORCID 0000-0002-3046-0871

Funding

Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (Else Kroner-Fresenius Foundation) 2019_A79Fritz Thyssen Stiftung (Fritz Thyssen Foundation) 10.20.1.022MN
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The ubiquitin-proteasome system is essential for neuronal proteostasis, yet its function declines with age. How aging affects deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) in the vertebrate brain remains unclear. Here we used activity-based proteomics to profile cysteine protease DUBs in aging mouse and killifish brains. We identified a subset of DUBs that progressively lose catalytic activity with age despite stable protein abundance. Mechanistically, oxidative stress impaired DUB function through thiol oxidation, whereas antioxidant treatment with N-acetylcysteine ethyl ester (NACET) restored activity in aging brains. In human iPSC-derived neurons, global DUB inhibition and targeted inhibition of USP7, one of the most strongly age-affected DUBs, partially recapitulated ubiquitylation changes observed in aged brains. Temporal analysis in mice further revealed that DUB inhibition precedes proteasome decline during brain aging. Together, these findings identify redox-sensitive DUBs that lose activity with age and suggest impaired deubiquitylation as an early, potentially reversible driver of proteostasis decline in the aging brain.

Indexed as

AgingBrainOxidative StressAnimalsHumansInduced Pluripotent Stem CellsMaleMiceNeuronsOxidation-ReductionProteasome Endopeptidase ComplexProteomicsUbiquitinUbiquitinationUbiquitin ThiolesteraseProteasome Endopeptidase ComplexUbiquitinUbiquitin Thiolesterase

Identifiers

PMID42014687
PMCPMC13100221

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.