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Old flies can become young moms
November 25, 2008A fly can have it all: Frequent breeding and long life, new study by USC biologists finds
Female flies can turn back the biological clock and extend their lifespan at the same time, University of Southern California biologists report.
Their study, published online this month in Molecular Genetics and Genomics, casts doubt on the old notion of a tradeoff between reproduction and longevity.
Popular wisdom and scientific opinion have held that "the more you reproduce, the shorter you're going to live," said senior author John Tower, associate professor of biological sciences at USC College.
While that may be true in some cases, Tower added, recent research has hinted at exceptions to the rule.
The latest study is a striking example.
Tower and graduate student Yishi Li screened 8,000 genes in search of ones that could make older flies lay more eggs. They found two.
When older female flies were altered to over-express either of these two genes, they lived 5 to 30 percent longer and produced more offspring.
Tower speculated that the genes are boosting activity of stem cells in the flies' reproductive system. Stem cell activity declines with age, and reproduction in older flies could not happen without a return of stem cells to peak form.
"This would appear to be stimulating the stem cells to divide more in the old fly and therefore produce more offspring," Tower said.
Next, Tower and Li plan to see if stem cells in other parts of the fly's body also returned to their youthful prime.
If they did, over-expression of the two genes would seem to act as a fountain of youth for the entire organism.
The implications for mammals are not clear, Tower said, though one of the genes has a human equivalent that helps cells to grow and blood vessels to form.
But Tower's method at least provides a proof of concept.
"It both makes females lay more eggs and live longer, so it really argues against any kind of obligatory tradeoff between reproduction and lifespan," Tower said.
University of Southern California
Popular wisdom and scientific opinion have held that "the more you reproduce, the shorter you're going to live," said senior author John Tower, associate professor of biological sciences at USC College.
While that may be true in some cases, Tower added, recent research has hinted at exceptions to the rule.
The latest study is a striking example.
Tower and graduate student Yishi Li screened 8,000 genes in search of ones that could make older flies lay more eggs. They found two.
When older female flies were altered to over-express either of these two genes, they lived 5 to 30 percent longer and produced more offspring.
Tower speculated that the genes are boosting activity of stem cells in the flies' reproductive system. Stem cell activity declines with age, and reproduction in older flies could not happen without a return of stem cells to peak form.
"This would appear to be stimulating the stem cells to divide more in the old fly and therefore produce more offspring," Tower said.
Next, Tower and Li plan to see if stem cells in other parts of the fly's body also returned to their youthful prime.
If they did, over-expression of the two genes would seem to act as a fountain of youth for the entire organism.
The implications for mammals are not clear, Tower said, though one of the genes has a human equivalent that helps cells to grow and blood vessels to form.
But Tower's method at least provides a proof of concept.
"It both makes females lay more eggs and live longer, so it really argues against any kind of obligatory tradeoff between reproduction and lifespan," Tower said.
University of Southern California
Stem Cells Current Events and Stem Cells News RSSNew discovery about the formation of new brain cells
The generation of new nerve cells in the brain is regulated by a peptide known as C3a, which directly affects the stem cells' maturation into nerve cells and is also important for the migration of new nerve cells through the brain tissue, reveals new research from the Sahlgrenska Academy published in the journal Stem Cells.
Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant may help lung, heart disorders
Two separate studies published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (18:8), - now freely available on-line have shown that transplanted human-derived umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells transplanted in an animal model had positive therapeutic effects on specific lung and heart disorders the animal models.
Gene mismatch influences success of bone marrow transplants
A commonly inherited gene deletion can increase the likelihood of immune complications following bone marrow transplantation, an international team of researchers reports in the November 22 advance online issue of Nature Genetics.
New research shows versatility of amniotic fluid stem cells
For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that stem cells found in amniotic fluid meet an important test of potential to become specialized cell types, which suggests they may be useful for treating a wider array of diseases and conditions than scientists originally thought.
First reconstitution of an epidermis from human embryonic stem cells
Stem cell research is making great strides. This is yet again illustrated by a study carried out by the I-STEM* Institute (I-STEM/ Inserm UEVE U861/AFM), published in the Lancet on 21 November 2009. The I-STEM team, directed by Marc Peschanski has just succeeded in recreating a whole epidermis from human embryonic stem cells.
Bone Implant Offers Hope for Skull Deformities
A synthetic bone matrix offers hope for babies born with craniosynostosis, a condition that causes the plates in the skull to fuse too soon.
Your Own Stem Cells Can Treat Heart Disease
The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells.
Is hepatic differentiation of embryonic stem cells induced by valproic acid and cytokines?
Embryonic stem (ES) cells, known for their capacity to proliferate indefinitely and differentiate into almost all types of cells including hepatocytes, have raised the hope of cellular replacement therapy for liver failure.
Paradoxical protein might prevent cancer
One difficulty with fighting cancer cells is that they are similar in many respects to the body's stem cells. By focusing on the differences, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have found a new way of tackling colon cancer. The study is presented in the prestigious journal Cell.
U of M researchers find 2 units of umbilical cord blood reduce risk of leukemia recurrence
A new study from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota shows that patients who have acute leukemia and are transplanted with two units of umbilical cord blood (UCB) have significantly reduced risk of the disease returning.
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