Abstract

An insulinlike signaling pathway controls Caenorhabditis elegans aging, metabolism, and development. Mutations in the daf-2 insulin receptor–like gene or the downstream age-1 phosphoinositide 3-kinase gene extend adult life-span by two- to threefold. To identify tissues where this pathway regulates aging and metabolism, we restored daf-2 pathway signaling to only neurons, muscle, or intestine. Insulinlike signaling in neurons alone was sufficient to specify wild-type life-span, but muscle or intestinal signaling was not. However, restoring daf-2 pathway signaling to muscle rescued metabolic defects, thus decoupling regulation of life-span and metabolism. These findings point to the nervous system as a central regulator of animal longevity.

Keywords

BiologyCaenorhabditis elegansSignal transductionCell biologyInsulin receptorRegulatorLongevityEndocrinologyGeneInternal medicineGeneticsInsulinMedicine

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Publication Info

Year
2000
Type
article
Volume
290
Issue
5489
Pages
147-150
Citations
671
Access
Closed

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Catherine A. Wolkow, Koutarou D. Kimura, Ming‐Sum Lee et al. (2000). Regulation of <i>C. elegans</i> Life-Span by Insulinlike Signaling in the Nervous System. Science , 290 (5489) , 147-150. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.290.5489.147

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DOI
10.1126/science.290.5489.147