Identifying lifespan-altering agents
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsLeonard P. Guarente, Nicanor Austriaco, Jr., Brian Kennedy
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Abstract
Methods of isolating mutant yeast cells with increased life span, as well as mutant yeast cells isolated by the methods, are disclosed. Also described are methods of identifying agents which increase life span of yeast cells, and methods of isolating genes which affect senescence in organisms.
Claims48
A method of identifying an agent that alters the lifespan of a eukaryotic cell, the method comprising:
- a) providing a eukaryotic cell characterized by a first replicative capacity;
- b) contacting the eukaryotic cell with an agent to provide a treated eukaryotic cell, wherein the agent is a drug;
- c) evaluating a phenotype of the treated eukaryotic cell, in the presence of the agent, wherein the phenotype is stress survival;
- and
- d) evaluating replicative capacity of the treated eukaryotic cell in the presence of the agent, wherein modulation of the phenotype and replicative capacity, relative to a corresponding phenotype and capacity of a eukaryotic cell not contacted with the agent, identifies the agent as an agent that alters the lifespan of a eukaryotic cell.
A method of identifying an agent that alters the lifespan of a eukaryotic cell, the method comprising:
- a) providing a eukaryotic cell characterized by a first replicative capacity;
- b) contacting the eukaryotic cell with an agent to provide a treated eukaryotic cell, wherein the agent is a peptide;
- c) evaluating a phenotype of the treated eukaryotic cell, in the presence of the agent, wherein the phenotype is stress survival;
- and
- d) evaluating replicative capacity of the treated eukaryotic cell in the presence of the agent, wherein modulation of the phenotype and replicative capacity, relative to a corresponding phenotype and capacity of a eukaryotic cell not contacted with the agent, identifies the agent as an agent that alters the lifespan of a eukaryotic cell.
A method of identifying an agent that alters the lifespan of a eukaryotic cell, the method comprising:
- a) providing a eukaryotic cell characterized by a first replicative capacity;
- b) contacting the eukaryotic cell with an agent to provide a treated eukaryotic cell, wherein the agent is an oligonucleotide;
- c) evaluating a phenotype of the treated eukaryotic cell, in the presence of the agent, wherein the phenotype is stress survival;
- and
- d) evaluating replicative capacity of the treated eukaryotic cell in the presence of the agent, wherein modulation of the phenotype and replicative capacity, relative to a corresponding phenotype and capacity of a eukaryotic cell not contacted with the agent, identifies the agent as an agent that alters the lifespan of a eukaryotic cell.
A method of identifying an agent that alters the lifespan of a eukaryotic cell, the method comprising:
- a) providing a eukaryotic cell characterized by a first replicative capacity;
- b) contacting the eukaryotic cell with an agent to provide a treated eukaryotic cell, wherein the agent is other than a gene;
- c) evaluating a phenotype of the treated eukaryotic cell, in the presence of the agent, wherein the phenotype is stress survival;
- and
- d) evaluating replicative capacity of the treated eukaryotic cell in the presence of the agent, wherein modulation of the phenotype and replicative capacity, relative to a corresponding phenotype and capacity of a eukaryotic cell not contacted with the agent, identifies the agent as an agent that alters the lifespan of a eukaryotic cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.