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[kevin]

Noted lifespan researcher Cynthia Kenyon has identified genes affected by the longevity mutation in the roundworm daf-2 gene through the use of microarray and RNA interference technology. The daf-2 gene encodes a hormone receptor similar to those for insulin and IGF-1 in humans.

Using DNA microarray technology, the researchers found that the single life-extending mutation – a change in the gene known as daf-2 -- exerts its influence through antimicrobial and metabolic genes, through genes controlling the cellular stress response, and by dampening the activity of specific life-shortening genes.

interestingly as well it was found that many genes affected by the daf-2 mutation are also involved in protein degradation.

Many of the genes that affect lifespan code for antioxidant proteins, the researchers found; others code for proteins called chaperones that help repair or degrade damaged proteins. This is especially interesting, Kenyon says, because many diseases of aging involve oxidative damage or protein aggregation.

Scientists find what type of genes affect longevity

Edited by kperrott, 16 July 2003 - 07:31 PM.

[kevin]

Using similar techniques of RNA interference as those used by Kenyon, Murphy et al., have acheived results which support Kenyon's research as well as going further in the mapping of 'longevity genes' which are influenced by the activity of DAF-16, a protein which is downstream in the insulin/IGF-1 signalling pathway.

Using DNA microarray analysis which can test for the activity of thousands of genes at a time, about three hundred have been found to be influenced by DAF-16 and probably increase longevity through additive effects. It is tempting to think that there might be a heretofore unknown pathway by which aging might be influenced, but one thing is certain, we're just at the beginning of discovery...

Seeking insight into the biochemistry of ageing, Murphy et al. panned their mine of microarray data for genes that fit existing expectations — an approach sometimes referred to as 'fishing'. But the drawback with fishing is that it is all too tempting to fit your data to the hypothesis, rather than the other way around. What is needed now is an unbiased and statistically rigorous analysis of which functional classes of genes are controlling lifespan. Such an approach would be better able to identify processes not previously known to be involved in ageing. The raw microarray data generated by Murphy et al. are publicly available, so other researchers should be able to analyse the data further and fully realize the value of this information.

Pretty exciting stuff... (if you're a nerd like me.. )

http://www.nature.co...424259a_fs.html