title: What evidence is there for the existence of individual genes with antagonistic pleiotropic effects?
abstract: Classical evolutionary theory predicts the existence of genes with antagonistic effects on longevity and various components of early-life fitness. Quantitative genetic studies have provided convincing evidence that such genes exist. However, antagonistic pleiotropic effects have rarely been attributed to individual loci. We examine several classes of longevity-assurance genes: those involved in regulation of the gonad; the insulin-like growth factor pathway; free-radical scavenging; heat shock proteins and apoptosis. We find initial evidence that antagonistic pleiotropic effects are pervasive in each of these classes of genes and in various model systems--although most studies lack explicit studies of fitness components. This is particularly true of human studies. Very little is known about the early-life fitness effects of longevity loci. Given the possible medical importance of such effects we urge their future study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berks., SL5-7PY, UK. a.leroi@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Armand M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Leroi
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bartke
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Benedictis
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gartner
authors.forename: Efstathios S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Gonos
authors.forename: Eleftherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gonos
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fedei
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Feder
authors.forename: Toomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kivisild
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kartaf-Ozer
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kartal-Ozer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sikora
authors.forename: Eline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Slagboom
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatar
authors.forename: Anatoli I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Yashin
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vijg
authors.forename: Bas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zwaan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics*; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*