0

0

1

Jump to Topics

Ageing with elegans: a new technique identifies possible ageing genes
98735

Ageing with elegans: a new technique identifies possible ageing genes

Using a new technique to study ageing, scientists have found the gene, PAB-1 causes protein aggregation in cells that can potentially help understand ageing in humans
researcher on worm
Research on roundworms to understand ageing | Representational Image | Canva

Researchers have inched closer to understanding genes that are potentially involved in the ageing of humans. In a study published in Science Direct, scientists, discovered a mutation using a new technique in the gene PAB-1 in roundworms that leads to excessive unwanted protein strands in cells regulating ageing.

“There are a lot of genes out there that we still don’t know what they do, particularly in regard to ageing,” says Dr Adriana San Miguel, corresponding author of the paper and assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at North Carolina State University, USA, in a statement.

Cellular changes that lead to ageing in humans is hard to track when they are young. Hence, researchers require fast reproducing and short lifespan animal models for conclusive research. Roundworms (C.elegans) fit this requirement; moreover, nearly 83 per cent of the worm’s genes match with those in humans.

Researchers use unwanted protein accumulation in cells as a marker to assess ageing. Cells constantly manufacture proteins to carry out functions while flushing out waste proteins. As cells age, the ability to perform these functions diminishes, resulting in the excess proteins clumping together.

In this study, the researchers induced random gene mutations in the worms. They then separated the worms with higher protein aggregation to study the genes related to ageing. Finally, the ones that had the shortest life and highest protein aggregation were picked up for further study on ageing.

When they analysed the genes, they discovered a mutation in the gene PAB-1, which indicated its role in ageing. Then, they cross-verified their result by taking one single worm with the highest protein accumulation. Here too, they found that the worm carried the same PAB-1 gene mutation.

Dr Miguel says that the protein aggregation and lifespan data allow to assess which mutations may be most relevant to ageing so that future research can focus on those genes.

“We think the technique we’ve demonstrated in this paper can be used by others in the research community to help identify genes of interest and expedite research into the genetics of ageing,” adds Dr Miguel.

Share Your Experience/Comments

One Response

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending

Articles

Video
CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. According to American Heart Association, immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest. Keeping the blood flow active, even partially, extends the opportunity for a successful resuscitation once trained medical staff arrive on site. It is an important lifesaving first-aid tool that can be performed by anyone.
Article
A new lifestyle adaptation seems to be about breaking a set of habits that are not as innocuous as they are believed to be
Video
Chocolates have been credited for providing better heart health. According to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in 2020, eating chocolate at least once a week helps reduce the risk of heart disease. The study says that eating chocolate more than once a week was associated with an eight per cent decreased risk of coronary artery disease. But how does one choose a good dark chocolate? Watch to find out.
Previous
Next

0

0

1

Opt-in To Our Daily Newsletter

* Please check your Spam folder for the Opt-in confirmation mail
We use cookies to customize your user experience, view our policy here

Your feedback has been submitted successfully.

The Happiest Health team will reach out to you at the earliest