18th International Mouse Genome Conference
17-22 October 2004, Seattle, USA
Plenary Presentations * Oral
Presentations * Poster
Abstracts * Photos
Verne Chapman Memorial Lecture * Table
of Contents * Attendees * Awards
PLENARY PRESENTATION
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 20
7.30pm – 8.00pm
GENOMIC INSTABILITY AND AGING
Martin GM
University of Washington, Seattle, United States
The contributions of genomic instability to processes of biological aging will be reviewed in the context of a classification of gene actions that escape the force of natural selection. Murine models are increasingly utilized to address these issues. Examples have implicated important contributions of mitochondrial and nuclear genomic instability and of epigenetic and genetic instability. Senescent phenotypes will be shown to be associated with early gene actions that are either adaptive or non-adaptive. Major deficiencies of the current state of the field, however, can be attributed to the almost exclusive reliance upon life span assays, an overemphasis upon experimental interventions that shorten, rather than lengthen life span, and too much reliance upon the pathologies associated with old age. What is missing are longitudinal measures of the rates of post-maturational declines in suites of specific physiological functions.