Identification, Cloning of Gene That Affects Roundworm Aging Reported
From Times staff and wire reports
Harvard researchers report in the Aug. 8 Nature that they have identified and cloned a gene called age-1 that plays a major role in aging in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. They found that the gene is the blueprint for an enzyme called PI(3)K that is involved in cellular communication and the transmission of signals across cellular membranes.
Evidence suggests that below-normal levels of PI(3)K activity trigger a biochemical program in the worm that leads to a decreased rate of aging and cellular deterioration, the team said.
