Genetic Analyses of Lifespan Control in C. elegans

描述(由申请人提供)：每个人都会变老，许多疾病 影响人类的疾病，如癌症，与衰老有关。因此，理解 对衰老的调节也可能有助于阐明 老年人对癌症等疾病的易感性。秀丽线虫 是研究衰老调节的极佳有机体。 遗传分析已经表明，胰岛素/LGF样激素控制 系统调节蠕虫中的衰老。然而，该系统的许多组件 还没有确定身份。因此，对额外寿命的表征 控制基因应该增加对调控途径的理解 蠕虫衰老的速度。EMS诱变产生的长寿突变株 之前由Kenyon小组执行的寿命筛查将被描述为 希望找到控制寿命的新分子。此外，还有一些 从屏幕上分离出来的长寿蠕虫表现出感官缺陷。然而， 关于蠕虫S感官系统是如何控制其寿命的，目前还知之甚少。 因此将是这项研究的重点，以提供对角色的令人兴奋的洞察 关于调节动物的环境？S的寿命，应该导致一个 更好地理解衰老的机制。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Everyone ages, and many diseases that affect humans, such as cancer, are correlated with aging. Thus, understanding the regulation of aging may also help elucidate the causes behind the predisposition of older humans to diseases like cancer. Caenorhabditis elegans is an excellent organism in which to investigate the regulation of aging. Genetic analyses have already shown that an insulin/lGF-like hormonal control system regulates aging in the worm. However, many components of this system have not been identified. Thus, the characterization of additional lifespan control genes should increase the understanding of the pathways that regulate the rate of aging in worms. Long-lived mutants from the EMS mutagenesis lifespan screen previously performed by the Kenyon group will be characterized in the hope of finding new molecules that control lifespan. Furthermore, some long-lived worms isolated from the screen exhibit sensory defects. However, little is still known on how the worm?s sensory system controls its lifespan, and thus will be a focus of this study to provide exciting insight on the role of the environment on regulating an animal?s lifespan, which should lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of aging.