Scientists have identified around 200 different genes that can affect the lifespan of a roundworm.

Humans share many genes with worms and the latter are providing exciting new insights into the genetic basis of longevity. Ten years ago, Cynthia Kenyon and her team at the University of California, San Francisco, determined that mutations in a gene called daf-2 could actually double the lifespan of the roundworm. But at the time it was not clear how this might happen and what other genes could be involved.

The current study uses a new technique called RNA interference, which 'silences' genes one at a time and then looks at the effect on the organism. This reveals that up to 200 genes could be involved in a regulatory network with Daf-2. They control functions as diverse as resistance to infection to control of oxidative stress. No wonder the long-lived worms also seem to be remarkably disease-free. Not surprisingly, the genes involved in lifespan also protect against disease. And it is known that daf-2 is very similar to the human gene for the insulin receptor. Further research along these lines may well shed new light on human longevity and may give clues on how to best avoid chronic disease.

Source

Nature June 2003