Strength in diversity: Intra-cellular metabolite sharing enhances longevity

Much of our foundational knowledge of cellular biology comes from studies in budding yeast, often described as a simple unicellular eukaryotic model. In this issue of Cell, Correia-Melo et al. describe an unappreciated feature of yeast biology involving intra-cellular metabolite exchange, where cells adapt and respond as part of a community, and go on to show that sharing of resources linked to methionine metabolism enhances longevity of cooperating cells.

Automated summary

This article reveals an overlooked feature of yeast biology, which involves intra-cellular metabolite exchange, where cells adapt and respond as a community, and demonstrates that resource sharing linked to methionine metabolism enhances the longevity of cooperating cells.