title: Extended life-span and stress resistance in the Drosophila mutant methuselah.
abstract: Toward a genetic dissection of the processes involved in aging, a screen for gene mutations that extend life-span in Drosophila melanogaster was performed. The mutant line methuselah (mth) displayed approximately 35 percent increase in average life-span and enhanced resistance to various forms of stress, including starvation, high temperature, and dietary paraquat, a free-radical generator. The mth gene predicted a protein with homology to several guanosine triphosphate-binding protein-coupled seven-transmembrane domain receptors. Thus, the organism may use signal transduction pathways to modulate stress response and life-span.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seroude
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benzer
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005508:Food Deprivation; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D017344:Genes, Insect; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007305:Insecticide Resistance; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010269:Paraquat / Q000494:pharmacology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C115381:mth protein, Drosophila; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D010269:Paraquat