How the evolutionary theory of aging can guide us in the search for aging genes.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-1-2012

JAX Source

Aging (Albany NY) 2012 May; 4(5):318-9.

PMID

22683607

Volume

4

Issue

5

First Page

318

Last Page

319

ISSN

1945-4589

Abstract

Additional work is necessary to verify Nrip1 as an aging gene that mediates an antagonistic relationship between female reproductive maturation and lifespan. But our present analysis does provide direct support for the hypothesis that genes that regulate IGF1 constitute an entire category of pleiotropic genes that influence both reproductive maturation and aging. Our results also suggest that genes such as Nrip1- with highly pleiotropic effects on metabolism and cell turnover as well as on cell signaling and life history traits - are the types of genes that have the greatest impact on aging. Our work demonstrates that the utilization of pleiotropy in strategies informed by evolutionary theory is an effective approach in the search for genes that regulate aging.

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