Unité BFA (EAC 7059), Université Paris Diderot-Paris7/ CNRS, 4 rue Marie Andrée Lagroua Weill Halle, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France.
Mech Ageing Dev. 2010 Feb;131(2):156-64. doi: 10.1016/j.mad.2010.01.004. Epub 2010 Jan 22.
Since the initial identification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as the major factor in aging, many studies have provided evidence for the central role of mitochondria in longevity. A few years ago, an unexpected finding showed that the inactivation of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) in Caenorhabditis elegans, during the developmental stages only, extended lifespan. Activation of this mitochondrial pathway affecting aging (MIT) is associated with several phenotypic features: increased longevity, increased time of development, decreased fertility/fecundity and reduced adult size. Here, we investigated this pathway in another model organism, Drosophila melanogaster. To assess the role of mitochondrial activity in the Drosophila aging process, we partially inactivated the MRC using RNA interference (RNAi) during larval stages. Developmental perturbation of the respiratory process prolonged development, increased lethality during developmental stage, reduced both fecundity and fertility and slightly reduced individual weight. However, in contrast to the nematode, this genetic intervention either shortened or had no effect on lifespan, depending on the level of gene inactivation. Thus, the effects of MRC disruption during development on aging differ between species. We discuss the possible origins of such differences.
自最初将活性氧（ROS）鉴定为衰老的主要因素以来，许多研究已经为线粒体在长寿中的核心作用提供了证据。几年前，一个意外的发现表明，仅在秀丽隐杆线虫的发育阶段，线粒体呼吸链（MRC）的失活会延长寿命。这种影响衰老的线粒体途径（MIT）的激活与几种表型特征有关：寿命延长、发育时间延长、生育力/繁殖力降低和成虫体型减小。在这里，我们在另一种模式生物果蝇中研究了这条途径。为了评估线粒体活性在果蝇衰老过程中的作用，我们在幼虫阶段使用 RNA 干扰（RNAi）部分失活 MRC。呼吸过程的发育干扰延长了发育时间，增加了发育阶段的死亡率，降低了生育力和繁殖力，并略微降低了个体体重。然而，与线虫不同的是，这种基因干预要么缩短，要么对寿命没有影响，这取决于基因失活的程度。因此，发育过程中 MRC 破坏对衰老的影响在不同物种之间存在差异。我们讨论了这种差异的可能来源。
