Tequila Regulates Insulin-Like Signaling and Extends Life Span in Drosophila melanogaster.
The aging process is a universal phenomenon shared by all living organisms. The identification of longevity genes is important in that the study of these genes is likely to yield significant insights into human senescence. In this study, we have identified Tequila as a novel candidate gene involved in the regulation of longevity in Drosophila melanogaster. We have found that a hypomorphic mutation of Tequila (Teq(f01792)), as well as cell-specific downregulation of Tequila in insulin-producing neurons of the fly, significantly extends life span. Tequila deficiency-induced life-span extension is likely to be associated with reduced insulin-like signaling, because Tequila mutant flies display several common phenotypes of insulin dysregulation, including reduced circulating Drosophila insulin-like peptide 2 (Dilp2), reduced Akt phosphorylation, reduced body size, and altered glucose homeostasis. These observations suggest that Tequila may confer life-span extension by acting as a modulator of Drosophila insulin-like signaling.
Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Institute of Biotechnology.
Cheng-Wen
CW
Huang
Institute of Biotechnology, Institute of Systems Neuroscience, and Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, HsinChu, Taiwan.
Horng-Dar
HD
Wang
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Hua
H
Bai
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Ming-Shiang
MS
Wu
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Jui-Hung
JH
Yen
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Marc
M
Tatar
Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chinan University, Nantou, Taiwan.
Tsai-Feng
TF
Fu
Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. wangpeiyu@ntu.edu.tw.
Pei-Yu
PY
Wang
D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C512782:Teq protein, Drosophila
Aging; Glucose homeostasis; Longevity; Neurotrypsin