TY - JOUR
T1 - The ageing phenome
T2 - Caloric restriction and hormones promote neural cell survival, growth, and de-differentiation
AU - Timiras, Paola S.
AU - Yaghmaie, Farzin
AU - Saeed, Omar
AU - Thung, Elaine
AU - Chinn, Garrett
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by NIH-NIA Grant 19145 and by BioTime, Inc.
Copyright:
Copyright 2011 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2005/1
Y1 - 2005/1
N2 - The phenome represents the observable properties of an organism that have developed under the continued influences of both genome and environmental factors. Phenotypic properties are expressed through the functions of cells, organs and body systems that operate optimally, close to equilibrium. In complex organisms, maintenance of the equilibrium is achieved by the interplay of several regulatory mechanisms. In the elderly, dynamic instability may lead to progressive loss of normal function, failure of adaptation and increased pathology. Extensive research (reported elsewhere in this journal) has demonstrated that genetic manipulations of endocrine signaling in flies, worms and mice increase longevity. Another effective strategy for prolonging the lifespan is caloric restriction: in data presented here, the persistence of estrogen-sensitive cells in the hypothalamus of caloric restricted 22-month-old female mice, may explain the persistence of reproductive function at an age, when reproductive function has long ceased in ad libitum fed controls. Still another strategy utilizes the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to promote in vitro proliferation of neuroglia, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Their subsequent de-differentiation generates immature precursor cells potentially capable of differentiating into neuroblasts and neurons. These and other examples suggest that, in terms of functional outcomes, "the genome proposes but the phenome disposes".
AB - The phenome represents the observable properties of an organism that have developed under the continued influences of both genome and environmental factors. Phenotypic properties are expressed through the functions of cells, organs and body systems that operate optimally, close to equilibrium. In complex organisms, maintenance of the equilibrium is achieved by the interplay of several regulatory mechanisms. In the elderly, dynamic instability may lead to progressive loss of normal function, failure of adaptation and increased pathology. Extensive research (reported elsewhere in this journal) has demonstrated that genetic manipulations of endocrine signaling in flies, worms and mice increase longevity. Another effective strategy for prolonging the lifespan is caloric restriction: in data presented here, the persistence of estrogen-sensitive cells in the hypothalamus of caloric restricted 22-month-old female mice, may explain the persistence of reproductive function at an age, when reproductive function has long ceased in ad libitum fed controls. Still another strategy utilizes the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to promote in vitro proliferation of neuroglia, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Their subsequent de-differentiation generates immature precursor cells potentially capable of differentiating into neuroblasts and neurons. These and other examples suggest that, in terms of functional outcomes, "the genome proposes but the phenome disposes".
KW - Adaptation
KW - De-differentiation of neuroglia
KW - Estrogen-sensitive hypothalamic neural cells
KW - Longevity
KW - Phenome
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U2 - 10.1016/j.mad.2004.09.020
DO - 10.1016/j.mad.2004.09.020
M3 - Article
C2 - 15610756
AN - SCOPUS:10944220546
SN - 0047-6374
VL - 126
SP - 3
EP - 9
JO - Mechanisms of Ageing and Development
JF - Mechanisms of Ageing and Development
IS - 1
ER -