Kim does not believe that the transcription factors are programmed to trigger aging. Instead, he speculates, their function becomes unbalanced as worms get older. Evolution, after all, selects for genes that help individuals reproduce, but once organisms have passed breeding age, they are no longer subject to its control. “Entire biological systems drift away when nature doesn’t care anymore,” Kim notes. ELT-3, ELT-5 and ELT-6 may play an important role in the development of young worms, but after their job is done, their function could go awry—and this “developmental drift,” as Kim calls it, could actually cause aging.
The study does not prove that aging in worms is driven only by developmental drift, Kennedy observes. Both damage accumulation and drift could play a role, and other genetic circuits could also be involved. But the paper certainly gives scientists “something else to think about with regards to what might be driving the aging process,” he points out. “It brings to the forefront a new hypothesis that can be tested in more detail.”
What could these findings mean for people? If aging is primarily a genetic process, conceivably it could one day be preventable. No one yet knows, however, whether the human counterparts to the ELT genes—called GATA transcription factors—might also be involved in normal aging, but it is a question Kim and his colleagues hope to address soon. “We know how human development works,” Kim says. “Now we just have to find out which of these pathways are not working as well in old humans.”
Note: This article was originally printed with the title, "Rethinking the Wrinkling".
This article was originally published with the title Rethinking the Wrinkling.
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8 Comments
Add CommentWhen Protons are almost at Light speed why don't they get so heavy that they become impossible to move, or shrink to nothing? (Einstien)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi love this description!!!!!!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"When Protons are almost at Light speed why don't they get so heavy that they become impossible to move, or shrink to nothing? (Einstien)"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat does that have to do with cellular aging?
Protons aside, this article indicates to me that the evolutionary analysis of aging and death has not proceeded to a logical conclusion, perhaps due to lingering sentimentality about nature. The fate of the male praying mantis should be a lesson to us: the selfish gene has a clear interest in proactively removing competitors for resources. Adults that have procreated (and in more loosely programmed species, have finished childrearing) are competitors with their offspring. Mutations that remove them from the playing field would be selected for. Here's your "death wish".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf we didn't age, how would the young complete with us? With all my experience and accumulated wealth, why would a young woman choose a young man? His youth and vigor is his only advantage. Come to think of it, why would I choose a young woman if an older one was still vigorous and fertile? An older woman would also contribute more wealth and experience to our young. Where would that leave evolution? If you don't die and make room for the new 'version', evolution stops. So species whose genes don't direct them to age died out long ago. Species which age slowly, evolve slowly. Somewhere in our genome there is a switch (or two...).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLOL
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe New Younger Model? I'm a happy weathly older model female version doesn't need body part replacement yet, however it would be nice to turn on a gene to clean up the growing slop under my eyes, take a few thousand protons off the trunk, renew, recycle and reuse the upper half which is melting due to "global warming".
You Try It First!
I am not a person with formal university education on this subject you have written. I found it very informative. In my own way, I have attained subtantial global knowledge in almost every subject. Granted what in your article are true, and we proved there are switches in our selves that turns on or off our aging process, how will that alter our evolution? It appears to me if humans could live to over 150 years or cloned over and over, it will slow down our evolution. It will probably slowdown population explosion, but at what cost? Disease causing organism could evolved to more potent and virulent versions on each long aging population that it may extinct our future generations. Have we consider that atleast? I don't believe in the thought of Pandora Box. But I believe in the duality of everything that exist.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnd for that we should approached what we want to do with caution and considerations. If you already did, I thank you.
Well, I agree that there must be a intrinsic switch or switches in different stages of human developmental process because no matter how different of the life spans between different people, all human beings go through from a baby to a old person. This paper about ELTs explained that deletion of ELTs extended mouse life span, but didn't elucidate whether deletion of the three ELTS with different combination or sequences and even doses can affect the stages of the development of mice. Still, cellular and molecular damages caused by mental and physical stresses acculated in a life time can reach a poisonous level to affect the normal funtion of body system and further affect a person's health and cause aging of organs and loss of life. So restricted calory intake , adequate amount of exercises, healthy foods, and regular life style together will help to extend the life span.
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