The Molecular Genetics of Aging

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XV

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2. Centenarians and the Genetics of Longevity

   • Thomas Perls, Dellara F. Terry, Margery Silver, Maureen Shea, Jennifer Bowen, Erin Joyce et al.

   Pages 1-20

3. Coordination of Metabolic Activity and Stress Resistance in Yeast Longevity

   • S. Michal Jazwinski

   Pages 21-44

4. Current Issues Concerning the Role of Oxidative Stress in Aging: A Perspective

   • Rajindar S. Sohal, Robin J. Mockett, William C. Orr

   Pages 45-66

5. Regulation of Gene Expression During Aging

   • Stephen L. Helfand, Blanka Rogina

   Pages 67-80

6. Crossroads of Aging in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

   • Siegfried Hekimi

   Pages 81-112

7. Contributions of Cell Death to Aging in C. elegans

   • Laura A. Herndon, Monica Driscoll

   Pages 113-129

8. Stress Response and Aging in Caenorhabditis elegans

   • Gordon J. Lithgow

   Pages 131-148

9. Oxidative Stress and Aging in Caenorhabditis elegans

   • Naoaki Ishii, Philip S. Hartman

   Pages 149-164

10. Mutation Accumulation In Vivo and the Importance of Genome Stability in Aging and Cancer

    • Martijn E. T. Dollé, Heidi Giese, Harry van Steeg, Jan Vijg

    Pages 165-180

11. Delayed Aging in Ames Dwarf Mice. Relationships to Endocrine Function and Body Size

    • Andrzej Bartke

    Pages 181-202

12. Stem Cells and Genetics in the Study of Development, Aging, and Longevity

    • Gary Van Zant

    Pages 203-235

13. Back Matter

    Pages 237-240

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The molecular genetics of aging or life-span determination is an expanding field. One reason is because many people would consider it desirable if hu­ man life span could be extended. Indeed, it is difficult not to be fascinated by tales of the life and death of people who have succeeded in living a very long life. Because of this, we have placed at the head of this book the chapter by Perls et al. on Centenerians and the Genetics of Longevity. Perls and his coauthors convincingly argue that, while the average life expectancy might be mostly determined by environmental factors because the average person has an average genotype, extremely long life spans are genetically determined. Of course, studying humans to uncover the genetics of aging is not ideal, not so much because one cannot easily perform experiments as because they live such a long time. This is why most of this book describes the current state of research with model organisms such as yeast, worms, flies, and mice. J aswinski focuses on yeast and how metabolic activity and stress resistance affect the longevity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the process, he discusses the concept of aging as applied to a unicellular organism such as yeast and the importance of metabolism and stress resistance for aging in all organisms.

• Telomere
• Termination
• Vivo
• age
• aging
• cancer
• enzymes
• gene expression
• genes
• genetics
• influence
• lifespan
• molecular mechanisms
• morbidity
• regulation

• Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, Canada

  Siegfried Hekimi

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