Gene Regulation May Be Key to Longer Life
The researchers found that long-lived organisms often exhibit high expression of genes involved in DNA repair, RNA transport, and cellular framework organization and low expression of genes involved in inflammation and energy consumption. Researchers from the University of Rochester interested in longevity genetics propose new targets to fight aging and age-related disorders. Mammals that age at very different rates have been created through natural selection. The naked mole rat, for example, can live up to 41 years, which is 10 times longer than rats and other rodents of comparable size. What causes longer life? An important component of the puzzle, according to a recent study by biologists at the University of Rochester, is found in the mechanisms that control gene expression. Vera Gorbunova, Doris Johns Cherry professor of biology and medicine, Andrei Seluanov, the publication’s first author, Jinlong Lu, a postdoctoral researcher in Gorbunova’s lab, and other researchers examined