Only part of the genes would be linked to aging. This could also be associated with our resistance to bacteria.
- The Drosophila fly shares several common genes with humans.
- In this research, fruit flies lived an average of 57 days, compared to 63 for those who took antibiotics.
- In different models, antibiotics suppress the link between certain genes and aging.
What causes our cells to age? For a long time, researchers have believed that this phenomenon is linked to certain genes. A study, published in iScience, calls this assumption into question. “These genes are considered to be means of controlling aging, in worms, mice and humansexplains Edward Giniger, one of the authors of this new research. We were shocked to discover that only 30% of them are directly involved in the aging process.”
An unexpected result
The researcher and his team made this observation by chance: they were carrying out research on the aging of Drosophila, also called fruit flies. They had previously found that an overactive immune system could degrade neurons and lead to age-related brain disorders. To test their hypothesis, they administered antibiotics to a group of newborn fruit flies. Scientists assumed that they would have no consequences on their development and survival.
The results proved them the opposite: the flies that took the antibiotics lived an average of six days longer than those that did not. “That’s a big age difference for fliessays Arvind Kumar Shukla, co-author. In humans, it is the equivalent of twenty years of life gained.“Through extensive genetic analysis, they noticed that antibiotics alter the role of certain genes in aging.”At first, we found these results hard to believe, he continues. Several of these genes are classic markers of aging.“Their study shows that in reality their activity is more associated with the presence of certain bacteria than with the aging process.
Better understand genes to better fight against aging
In another experiment, the researchers grew flies in a completely sterile environment, therefore in the total absence of bacteria, without using antibiotics: the finding was the same. In Drosophila, this means that the organism’s activity against bacteria has an impact on aging. The researchers want to continue their work to identify the genes actually involved in this process. “If we want to fight aging, we need to know precisely which genes rule the clock.“, concludes Dr. Giniger.
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