Roles of the developmental regulator unc-62/Homothorax in limiting longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.

ABSTRACT: The normal aging process is associated with stereotyped changes in gene expression, but the regulators responsible for these age-dependent changes are poorly understood. Using a novel genomics approach, we identified HOX co-factor unc-62 (Homothorax) as a developmental regulator that binds proximal to age-regulated genes and modulates lifespan. Although unc-62 is expressed in diverse tissues, its functions in the intestine play a particularly important role in modulating lifespan, as intestine-specific knockdown of unc-62 by RNAi increases lifespan. An alternatively-spliced, tissue-specific isoform of unc-62 is expressed exclusively in the intestine and declines with age. Through analysis of the downstream consequences of unc-62 knockdown, we identify multiple effects linked to aging. Firs

SUBMITTER: Van Nostrand EL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3585033 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature