The microtubule-associated conserved protein tau has attracted significant attention because of its essential role in the formation of pathological changes in the nervous system, which can reduce longevity. The study of the effects caused by tau dysfunction and the molecular mechanisms underlying them is complicated because different forms of tau exist in humans and model organisms, and the changes in protein expression can be multidirectional. In this article, we show that an increase in the expression of the main isoform of the melanogaster tau protein in the nervous system has differing effects on lifespan depending on the sex of individuals but has no effect on the properties of the nervous system, in particular, the synaptic activity and distribution of another microtubule-associated protein, Futsch, in neuromuscular junctions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFundamental mechanisms underlying genetic control of lifespan are intensively studied and discussed due to the increasing importance of extending healthy human life. The stc gene of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster encodes a transcription factor, homolog of the human transcription factor NF-X1, involved in regulation of neuronal development and other processes, as well as in control of lifespan. In this work, we demonstrate that the stc knockdown in embryonic and nerve cells leads to changes in lifespan, with the nature of changes depending on the cell type and sex of individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAging is one of the world's greatest concerns, requiring urgent, effective, large-scale interventions to decrease the number of late-life chronic diseases and improve human healthspan. Anti-aging drug therapy is one of the most promising strategies to combat the effects of aging. However, most geroprotective compounds are known to successfully affect only a few aging-related targets.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrosophila melanogaster is a leading model in population genetics and genomics, and a growing number of whole-genome data sets from natural populations of this species have been published over the last years. A major challenge is the integration of disparate data sets, often generated using different sequencing technologies and bioinformatic pipelines, which hampers our ability to address questions about the evolution of this species. Here we address these issues by developing a bioinformatics pipeline that maps pooled sequencing (Pool-Seq) reads from D.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe development of interventions aimed at improving healthspan is one of the priority tasks for the academic and public health authorities. It is also the main objective of a novel branch in biogerontological research, geroscience. According to the geroscience concept, targeting aging is an effective way to combat age-related disorders.
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