Genetics of longevity

Recent studies on the genetics of aging in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisi ae, the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, and the fruit fly Drosophila mela nogaster have converged revealing the central role of metabolic capacity an d resistance to stress in determining life span. Signal transduction has em erged from these studies as an important molecular mechanism underlying lon gevity. In their broad features, the results obtained in these genetic mode ls are applicable to the dietary restriction paradigm in mammals, suggestin g a general significance. It will be of interest to determine whether many of the molecular details will also pertain. The examination of centenarian populations for the frequency of certain alleles of pertinent genes may pro vide insights into the relevance of the conclusions of studies in invertebr ates to human aging. These population genetic studies can be augmented by m echanistic studies in transgenic mice. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.