Evolutionarily Conserved Decline of tRNA Mannosyl-Queuosine Links Translational Regulation to Aging and Is Reversed by Queuine

Abstract

Aging arises from interconnected molecular defects, yet upstream regulatory mechanisms that coordinate these hallmarks remain incompletely defined. While epitranscriptomic regulation has emerged as a critical layer of gene control, the contribution of tRNA-specific modifications to aging remains largely unexplored. Here, we systematically profile tRNA modifications across multiple organs, species, and senescence models and identify mannosyl-queuosine (manQ), a wobble-position modification of tRNAAsp, as the first tRNA-specific modification that consistently declines with age. ManQ depletion is evolutionarily conserved and tightly correlates with functional deterioration. Mechanistically, loss of manQ impairs translational fidelity, leading to proteome imbalance, collapse of proteostasis, and aberrant expression of senescence-associated proteins, including GPNMB. These translational defects intersect with established aging hallmarks and accelerate cellular and organismal aging. We further demonstrate that circulating queuine, a microbiota-derived precursor required for manQ biosynthesis, declines with age in rodents and humans. Queuine deficiency promotes senescence, whereas supplementation restores manQ levels, improves translational accuracy, suppresses p16/p21-driven senescence programs, and re-establishes proteostatic balance. Across species, queuine supplementation extends lifespan and enhances healthspan. In Drosophila, it increases median lifespan by 47% and improves stress resistance and memory. In naturally aging mice, long-term oral administration extends lifespan by 15.3%, reduces DNA methylation age, improves cognitive and motor performance, strengthens antioxidant defenses, remodels the gut microbiota, and alleviates inflammation and metabolic dysfunction without detectable toxicity. Collectively, these findings establish tRNA epitranscriptomic remodeling as a previously unrecognized layer of aging regulation and identify restoration of manQ through queuine supplementation as a multi-system strategy to delay aging.