Fruit Fly That Ages Slowly
Written by WTJ on January 24, 2009 – 12:46 am -
Whenever I read the news about fruit flies, I can’t help myself repeating a sentence over my mind and in this blog, “Time flies like arrow, fruit flies like banana!”
This time fruit flies may be able to enjoy more bananas in their life. Researchers from Brown University, University of Chicago, and University of Connecticut Health Center had identified the cellular mechanism of aging gene in fruit flies. The study was based on the discovery made by Stephen Helfand, a professor in biology, molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry at Brown University, which mutation of Indy (I’m Not Dead Yet) gene could prolong the life span of fruit flies. The researchers examined the mutated fruit flies with normal ones at molecular level. Genes required to produce energy in normal cell life were expressed at lower level in the mutated ones. This created less free radical which contributed to the aging process. However the overall energy generated by the mutated fruit flies was the same and the mutated fruit flies lived longer without any side effect.
Scientists suggested this discovery could be used in anti-aging treatment. The paper was published online on this Wednesday’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Other authors are Nicola Neretti, Pei-Yu Wang, Alexander S. Brodsky, Hieu H. Nyguyen, Kevin P. White, and Blanka Rogina.
(news)
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Tags: aging, Alexander S. Brodsky, Blanka Rogina, brown university, fruit fly, Hieu H. Nyguyen, i'm not dead yet, indy, indy gene, Kevin P. White, Nicola Neretti, Pei-Yu Wang, PNAS, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Stephen Helfand, University of Chicago, University of Connecticut Health Center | No Comments »
