Quantitative and molecular genetic analyses of mutations increasing Drosophila life span.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the genetic and environmental factors that affect variation in life span and senescence is of major interest for human health and evolutionary biology. Multiple mechanisms affect longevity, many of which are conserved across species, but the genetic networks underlying each mechanism and cross-talk between networks are unknown. We report the results of a screen for mutations affecting Drosophila life span. One third of the 1,332 homozygous P-element insertion lines assessed had quantitative effects on life span; mutations reducing life span were twice as common as mutations increasing life span. We confirmed 58 mutations with increased longevity, only one of which is in a gene previously associated with life span. The effects of the mutations increasing life span were highly

SUBMITTER: Magwire MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2912381 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature