Of worms, flies, dwarfs, and things that go bump in the night.
Studies over the past several years have found that antagonism of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling pathway increases life-span in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila. However, a persistent problem in these studies is the fact that the genetic mutation has effects on the development of the organism as well as on reproductive function. These effects act as potential confounding variables that complicate the interpretation of results. Kenyon and colleagues circumvent these issues by suppressing the insulin/IGF-1-like daf-2 signaling pathway at specific stages in the life-span of C. elegans. The results of their investigation challenge our understanding of the evolution of aging and provide opportunities for future studies in mammalian models.
Sonntag
William E
WE
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. wsonntag@wfubmc.edu
Ramsey
Melinda M
MM
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004175:Diptera / Q000502:physiology; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008017:Life Expectancy; D051379:Mice; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; C108831:daf-16 protein, C elegans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; C107483:DAF-2 protein, C elegans; D011972:Receptor, Insulin