Uncovering the mechanisms of Caenorhabditis elegans ageing from global quantification of the underlying landscape.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies on Caenorhabditis elegans reveal that gene manipulations can extend its lifespan several fold. However, how the genes work together to determine longevity is still an open question. Here we construct a gene regulatory network for worm ageing and quantify its underlying potential and flux landscape. We found ageing and rejuvenation states can emerge as basins of attraction at certain gene expression levels. The system state can switch from one attractor to another driven by the intrinsic or external perturbations through genetics or the environment. Furthermore, we simulated gene silencing experiments and found that the silencing of longevity-promoting or lifespan-limiting genes leads to ageing or rejuvenation domination, respectively. This indicates that the difference in de

SUBMITTER: Zhao L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5134008 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature