据11月6日的《科学》杂志报道说，一项新的研究表明，燃烧油脂可以使寿命延长，至少在蠕虫中是如此。Meng Wang及其同僚说，在C. elegans （或译：秀丽小杆线虫）中，当该蠕虫的生殖干细胞停止增生之后，一种可以燃烧油脂的酶的活性会增加，结果是其寿命得以延长。
Ting Xie在一则有关的Perspective 中提出，他们的发现对代谢调节、寿命和生殖是如何互相纠缠的机制提供了一个进一步激发人们兴趣的一瞥。Wang及其同僚显示，成年蠕虫的生殖干细胞会活跃地控制脂酶K04A8.5的水平，而这种酶会减少肠脂的水平。当干细胞停止增生的时候，脂酶的水平显著上升并开始消耗油脂。研究人员发现，那些肠脂酶被激活的蠕虫的寿命比其同属的蠕虫增加了24%。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
Science 7 November 2008:Vol. 322. no. 5903, pp. 957 - 960 DOI: 10.1126/science.1162011
Fat Metabolism Links Germline Stem Cells and Longevity in C. elegans
Meng C. Wang, Eyleen J. O'Rourke, Gary Ruvkun
Fat metabolism, reproduction, and aging are intertwined regulatory axes; however, the mechanism by which they are coupled remains poorly understood. We found that germline stem cells (GSCs) actively modulate lipid hydrolysis inCaenorhabditis elegans, which in turn regulates longevity. GSC arrest promotes systemic lipolysis via induction of a specific fat lipase. Subsequently, fat mobilization is promoted and life span is prolonged. Constitutive expression of this lipase in fat storage tissue generates lean and long-lived animals. This lipase is a key factor in the lipidhydrolysis and increased longevity that are induced by decreased insulin signaling. These results suggest a link between C. elegans fat metabolism and longevity.
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
