The circadian clock gene period extends healthspan in aging Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT: There is increasing evidence that aging is affected by biological (circadian) clocks - the internal mechanisms that coordinate daily changes in gene expression, physiological functions and behavior with external day/night cycles. Recent data suggest that disruption of the mammalian circadian clock results in accelerated aging and increased age-related pathologies such as cancer; however, the links between loss of daily rhythms and aging are not understood. We sought to determine whether disruption of the circadian clock affects lifespan and healthspan in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. We examined effects of a null mutation in the circadian clock gene period (per(01)) on the fly healthspan by challenging aging flies with short-term oxidative stress (24h hyperoxia) and investiga

SUBMITTER: Krishnan N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2815745 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature