Walk the (germ) line.
Germ cells possess the unique ability to transmit genetic information from generation to generation. In a recent paper, Curran et al. (2009) explore the possibility that some features of germ cells, including enhanced genomic stability, can be acquired by the soma as a mechanism to increase longevity.
Jones
D Leanne
DL
Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. ljones@salk.edu
D000818:Animals; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D042822:Genomic Instability; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008136:Longevity; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C108831:daf-16 protein, C elegans; C100950:pie-1 protein, C elegans