C. elegans, a model for aging with high-throughput capacity.
The 1 mm long nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the prime animal models to study the genetics of aging. Wild type animals under laboratory conditions live only for an average of 18 days, whereas mutations in about 50 genes have been identified that extend longevity up to sixfold. High-throughput analyses have been devised that allow large-scale analysis to identify additional genes, as well as compounds that affect life-span.
Hertweck
Maren
M
ABI/Molecular Neurogenetics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Schillerstr. 44, D-80336 Munich, Germany.
Hoppe
Thorsten
T
Baumeister
Ralf
R
D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics*; D017238:Genes, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics