Sedensky M M, Morgan P G
Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospitals and Case School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Exp Gerontol. 2006 Oct;41(10):957-67. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2006.06.056. Epub 2006 Aug 21.
A powerful approach to understanding complex processes such as aging is to study longevity in organisms that are amenable to genetic dissection. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans represents a superb model system in which to study the effects of mitochondrial function on longevity. Several mutant strains have been identified that indicate that mitochondrial function is a major factor affecting the organism's lifespan. Taken as a group, these mutant strains indicate that metabolic rate, per se, only affects longevity indirectly. Mutations causing lowered metabolic rate potential are capable of decreasing or increasing longevity.
一种理解诸如衰老等复杂过程的有效方法是研究易于进行基因剖析的生物体的寿命。线虫秀丽隐杆线虫是研究线粒体功能对寿命影响的绝佳模型系统。已经鉴定出几种突变菌株，这表明线粒体功能是影响生物体寿命的主要因素。总体而言，这些突变菌株表明，代谢率本身仅间接影响寿命。导致代谢率潜力降低的突变能够缩短或延长寿命。
