A methyl viologen-sensitive mutant of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
A methyl viologen (paraquat)-sensitive mutant, mev-1 (LG III), in Caenorhabditis elegans was about 4 times more sensitive to methyl viologen than the wild type. This mutant was also hypersensitive to oxygen. The brood size was about 1/4 that of the wild type. The average life span was determined to be 9.3 days as compared to 14.3 days for the wild type. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), a scavenging enzyme for superoxide anion, was about half the wild-type level. We suggest that oxygen radicals may be involved in the normal aging mechanism in C. elegans.
Ishii
N
N
Department of Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Takahashi
K
K
Tomita
S
S
Keino
T
T
Honda
S
S
Yoshino
K
K
Suzuki
K
K
D000818:Animals; D002107:Caenorhabditis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology; D010269:Paraquat / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D010269:Paraquat; D010100:Oxygen