The transcriptional repressor Sum1p counteracts Sir2p in regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, mitochondrial quality control and replicative lifespan in .

Increasing the stability or dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton can extend lifespan in and . Actin cables of budding yeast, bundles of actin filaments that mediate cargo transport, affect lifespan control through effects on mitochondrial quality control. Sir2p, the founding member of the Sirtuin family of lifespan regulators, also affects actin cable dynamics, assembly, and function in mitochondrial quality control. Here, we obtained evidence for novel interactions between Sir2p and Sum1p, a transcriptional repressor that was originally identified through mutations that genetically suppress ∆ phenotypes unrelated to lifespan. We find that deletion of in wild-type cells results in increased mitochondrial function and actin cable abundance. Furthermore, deletion of suppresses defects in actin cables and mitochondria of ∆ yeast, and extends the replicative lifespan and cellular health span of ∆ cells. Thus, Sum1p suppresses Sir2p function in control of specific aging determinants and lifespan in budding yeast.