X-Message-Number: 24159 From: "Simon Carter" <> Subject: Mitochondrial theory of ageing on test Date: Fri, 28 May 2004 13:43:17 +1000 In the latest issue of 'Nature' (27 May 2004): Old before its time: Mitochondrial theory of ageing on test The mitochondrial theory of ageing proposes that accumulation of mutations in mitochondrial DNA leads to progressive bioenergy deficiency, cellular damage, degeneration and eventually death. To test the theory, mice were genetically engineered to have mtDNA polymerase with poor proof-reading activity, and hence an enhanced mutation rate. These mtDNA-mutator mice (like the one in the foreground on the cover) develop signs of premature ageing and die aged about a year instead of 2-3 years. This suggests a causal link between mtDNA mutations and ageing phenotypes, and with these mice as the model, it should be possible to design strategies to antagonize or delay the effects of mtDNA mutations. That might not amount to an elixir of life, but will tell us a lot about some of the processes involved in ageing. Premature ageing in mice expressing defective mitochondrial DNA polymerase ALEKSANDRA TRIFUNOVIC, ANNA WREDENBERG, MARIA FALKENBERG, JOHANNES N. SPELBRINK, ANJA T. ROVIO, CARL E. BRUDER, MOHAMMAD BOHLOOLY-Y, SEBASTIAN GIDL F, ANDERS OLDFORS, ROLF WIBOM, JAN T RNELL, HOWARD T. JACOBS & NILS-G RAN LARSSON Nature 429, 417-423 (2004); doi:10.1038/nature02517 Ageing: Mice and mitochondria GEORGE M. MARTIN & LAWRENCE A. LOEB It can be hard to work out whether particular events are a cause or a correlate of ageing - do mutations in mitochondrial DNA, for instance, speed up the process of growing old? Some clever studies suggest so. Nature 429, 357-359 (2004); doi:10.1038/429357a Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=24159