nematodes

["Thomas J Savin " <tjsav@LYCOS.COM>]

Fellow radsafers - Just wanted to use this example of how complicated research is and how one find does not necessarily mean what one suggests - Does anyone think that this article (below) supports hormesis?  This is in response to the microwave report on nematodes:



Regulation of Life-Span by Germ-Line Stem Cells in Caenorhabditis elegans 

Nuno Arantes-Oliveira, Javier Apfeld,* Andrew Dillin, Cynthia Kenyon 



The germ line of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans influences life-span; when the germ-line precursor cells are removed, life-span is increased dramatically. We find that neither sperm, nor oocytes, nor meiotic precursor cells are responsible for this effect. Rather life-span is influenced by the proliferating germ-line stem cells. These cells, as well as a downstream transcriptional regulator, act in the adult to influence aging, indicating that the aging process remains plastic during adulthood. We propose that the germ-line stem cells affect life-span by influencing the production of, or the response to, a steroid hormone that promotes longevity. 



Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0448, USA. 

*   Present address: Exelixis, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94083, USA. 



   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ckenyon@biochem.ucsf.edu 



So, any thoughts? - Tom

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Tom Savin





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