生物谷報(bào)道：限制幾個(gè)卡路里的熱量就可以延長(zhǎng)實(shí)驗(yàn)鼠和其他物種的壽命,，但限制進(jìn)食何以能夠延長(zhǎng)壽命仍然是一個(gè)謎。現(xiàn)在,，研究人員終于在用于衰老研究的模型生物線蟲（C. elegans）身上發(fā)現(xiàn)了限制熱量與長(zhǎng)壽命之間的特定聯(lián)系,。Nicholas Bishop 和 Leonard Guarente發(fā)現(xiàn)，限制飲食能激活頭部ASI神經(jīng)元中的轉(zhuǎn)錄因子SKN-1,，后者然后會(huì)向周圍組織發(fā)出增加代謝活性的信號(hào),。這種神經(jīng)細(xì)胞影響非神經(jīng)組織的現(xiàn)象表明，內(nèi)分泌系統(tǒng)參與了其中,。Panowski等人報(bào)告,，小腸和頭部及尾部少數(shù)細(xì)胞中一種名叫PHA-4的轉(zhuǎn)錄因子活性的增加也是由限制飲食所產(chǎn)生的壽命延長(zhǎng)所必需的。PHA-4與哺乳動(dòng)物體內(nèi)的Foxa轉(zhuǎn)錄因子類似,，后者影響發(fā)育和調(diào)控空腹血糖素和葡萄糖水平,。關(guān)于這種聯(lián)系的知識(shí)讓我們看到了用藥物來模仿限制熱量之好處的希望。
英文原文：
Nature 447, 545-549 (31 May 2007) | doi:10.1038/nature05904; Received 12 February 2007; Accepted 9 May 2007
Two neurons mediate diet-restriction-induced longevity in C. elegans
Nicholas A. Bishop1 & Leonard Guarente1
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
Correspondence to: Leonard Guarente1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to L.G. (Email: [email protected]).
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Abstract
Dietary restriction extends lifespan and retards age-related disease in many species and profoundly alters endocrine function in mammals. However, no causal role of any hormonal signal in diet-restricted longevity has been demonstrated. Here we show that increased longevity of diet-restricted Caenorhabditis elegans requires the transcription factor gene skn-1 acting in the ASIs, a pair of neurons in the head. Dietary restriction activates skn-1 in these two neurons, which signals peripheral tissues to increase metabolic activity. These findings demonstrate that increased lifespan in a diet-restricted metazoan depends on cell non-autonomous signalling from central neuronal cells to non-neuronal body tissues, and suggest that the ASI neurons mediate diet-restriction-induced longevity by an endocrine mechanism.
