Review Volume 1, Issue 5 pp 458—469

Figure 1. PARP1 at the crossroad of metabolic stress and inflammation in aging. PARP1 is activated by cellular stress, e.g. by oxidative damage due to increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). As NAD⁺-dependent enzyme, PARP1 senses energy levels and crosstalks with other NAD⁺-consuming enzymes. Over-activation of PARP1 leads to energy depletion and cell death. On the other hand, PARP1 functions as cofactor for NF-κB-dependent transcription and is therefore implicated in many inflammatory processes. Both, PARP1-mediated metabolic stress and PARP1-regulated inflammation can lead to tissue degeneration underlying many age-related pathologies. See text for further details.