A mammalian model of genetically postponed aging would be an important
tool to test not only different mechanisms of aging but also the pred
ictive value of various biomarkers of the aging process. Under convent
ional conditions, the historical strains of the laboratory mouse produ
ce their first litter between 9 and 13 weeks of age and have a median
time of death in their 2nd year. Our POSCH-2 strain, which was derived
from wild-caught Mus musculus domesticus, produces its first litter i
n the current breeding generations at approximately 47 weeks of age an
d continues to breed throughout its 2nd and into its 3rd year of life.
The aging curve of POSCH-2 has not yet been determined for economic r
easons. Late onset of breeding is a characteristic of both females and
males, but sexual maturity is more reliably assessed in females. The
later breeding phenotype of POSCH-2 is genetically recessive to early
breeding of the C57BL/6J historical laboratory strain and, since POSCH
-2 females can be induced to ovulate at 8 weeks of age (but pregnancy
does not result), the signal rather than the ovarian receptor to ovula
te may be delayed. The genetically delayed reproduction and potentiall
y longer life of the POSCH-2 strain appears to be a new trait in the m
ouse. The strain may be a useful mammalian model for aging studies and
for the evaluation of antagonistic pleiotropy as a genetic model for
the evolution of aging.