Labuhn M, Brack C
Department of Cell Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland.
Gerontology. 1997;43(5):261-7. doi: 10.1159/000213861.
In all organisms the process of aging is characterized by a gradual loss of homeostatic maintenance functions and physiological fitness. This might be caused-in part-by a down-regulation of important housekeeping and maintenance genes. In our previous work we have shown that in Drosophila melanogaster aging is accompanied by a decrease in steady-state levels of most RNA species. This includes structural genes and housekeeping genes, though at a different level. Here we have examined age-related changes in the mRNA levels of the gene family encoding the six Drosophila actin genes. Two actin isoforms code for cytoskeletal actins and represent housekeeping genes, whereas the four muscle actin genes are expressed tissue-specifically in differentiated muscles. The results suggest that the six actin genes are differentially regulated during aging as well. The two cytoskeletal actin genes show little changes in their steady-state mRNA levels. Drastic changes are observed, however, in the mRNAs coding for muscle actins, particularly the mRNAs coding for the jump and flight muscle actins.
在所有生物体中，衰老过程的特征是体内平衡维持功能和生理适应性逐渐丧失。这可能部分是由于重要的管家基因和维持基因的下调所致。在我们之前的研究中，我们已经表明，在黑腹果蝇中，衰老伴随着大多数RNA种类的稳态水平下降。这包括结构基因和管家基因，不过程度有所不同。在这里，我们研究了编码六个果蝇肌动蛋白基因的基因家族mRNA水平的年龄相关变化。两种肌动蛋白同工型编码细胞骨架肌动蛋白，属于管家基因，而四个肌肉肌动蛋白基因在分化的肌肉中特异性表达。结果表明，这六个肌动蛋白基因在衰老过程中也受到不同的调控。两个细胞骨架肌动蛋白基因的稳态mRNA水平变化不大。然而，在编码肌肉肌动蛋白的mRNA中观察到了剧烈变化，特别是编码跳跃和飞行肌肉肌动蛋白的mRNA。
