Vanfleteren J R
Laboratory of Animal Morphology and Systematics, University of Ghent, Belgium.
Biochem J. 1993 Jun 1;292 ( Pt 2)(Pt 2):605-8. doi: 10.1042/bj2920605.
Mutations in the age-1 gene double both the mean and maximum life span of Caenorhabditis elegans. They also result in an age-specific increase of catalase and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase activity levels. The higher superoxide dismutase activity levels in age-1 mutants confer hyperresistance to the superoxide-anion-generating drug paraquat. The rate of superoxide anion production by microsome fractions declines linearly with age in age-1(+) worms, but, after an initial decline, is stabilized at a higher level in senescent age-1 mutant nematodes. These results clearly show that oxidative stress resistance and potential life span are correlated in this organism, and they suggest that the natural product of age-1 either directly or indirectly downregulates the activities of several other genes as a function of age.
age-1基因的突变使秀丽隐杆线虫的平均寿命和最大寿命都延长了一倍。它们还导致过氧化氢酶和铜/锌超氧化物歧化酶活性水平随年龄增长而增加。age-1突变体中较高的超氧化物歧化酶活性水平使其对产生超氧阴离子的药物百草枯具有超抗性。在age-1(+)线虫中,微粒体组分产生超氧阴离子的速率随年龄呈线性下降,但在衰老的age-1突变线虫中,经过最初的下降后,该速率稳定在较高水平。这些结果清楚地表明,在这种生物体中,抗氧化应激能力和潜在寿命是相关的,并且表明age-1的天然产物可能直接或间接地随着年龄增长下调其他几个基因的活性。