Lin Y J, Seroude L, Benzer S
Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Science. 1998 Oct 30;282(5390):943-6. doi: 10.1126/science.282.5390.943.
Toward a genetic dissection of the processes involved in aging, a screen for gene mutations that extend life-span in Drosophila melanogaster was performed. The mutant line methuselah (mth) displayed approximately 35 percent increase in average life-span and enhanced resistance to various forms of stress, including starvation, high temperature, and dietary paraquat, a free-radical generator. The mth gene predicted a protein with homology to several guanosine triphosphate-binding protein-coupled seven-transmembrane domain receptors. Thus, the organism may use signal transduction pathways to modulate stress response and life-span.
为了对衰老过程进行基因剖析，我们对黑腹果蝇中延长寿命的基因突变进行了筛选。突变品系玛土撒拉（mth）的平均寿命延长了约35%，并且对包括饥饿、高温和作为自由基发生器的百草枯饮食在内的各种应激形式具有增强的抗性。mth基因预测的一种蛋白质与几种鸟苷三磷酸结合蛋白偶联的七跨膜结构域受体具有同源性。因此，生物体可能利用信号转导途径来调节应激反应和寿命。
