Researchers reveal role of protein oxidative folding in stem cell aging

It has been widely acknowledged for a long time that mitochondrion is the main source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The role of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-generated ROS has been less extensively studied. It has been proposed that oxidative protein folding contributes approximately 25% of cellular ROS during protein synthesis. Thus, the ER-derived ROS cannot be ignored. Yet the role of the ER-derived ROS in the regulation of stem cell senescence remains unknown.