DAF-2

Daf2 The DAF-2 gene encodes for the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) receptor in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans. DAF-2 is part of the first metabolic pathway discovered to regulate the rate of aging. DAF-2 is also known to regulate reproductive development, resistance to oxidative stress, thermotolerance, resistance to hypoxia, and resistance to bacterial pathogens. Mutations in DAF-2 and also Age-1 have been shown by Cynthia Kenyon to double the lifespan of the worms. In a 2007 episode of WNYC’s Radiolab, Kenyon called DAF-2 "the grim reaper gene.”Reduced activity of the DAF-2 protein, an insulin/IGF-1 receptor, can be achieved through various mechanisms, primarily involving mutations or manipulations that decrease its signaling. These include mutations in the DAF-2 gene itself, reducing its expression, or interfering with downstream signaling pathways like PI3K/Akt. Additionally, certain environmental factors like a low-sugar diet and specific drug treatments can also modulate DAF-2 activity. Here's a more detailed breakdown: 1. Genetic Manipulation: Mutations in daf-2: Mutations that disrupt the DAF-2 protein's function, such as those found in long-lived daf-2 mutants, can reduce its activity. Reduced DAF-2 Expression: Lowering the amount of DAF-2 protein produced, either through gene silencing or targeted degradation, can also decrease signaling. Downstream Pathway Interference: The DAF-2 pathway involves several downstream molecules, including PI3K and Akt. Disrupting the function of these molecules can indirectly reduce DAF-2 signaling 2. Environmental and Pharmacological Factors: Low-Sugar Diet: Studies have shown that a low-sugar diet can reduce DAF-2 activity and increase lifespan in C. elegans. Antioxidants: Certain antioxidants, like NAC and BHA, have been shown to reduce the lifespan extension caused by reduced DAF-2 signaling, suggesting they may interfere with the pathway.  Auxin-induced Degradation: Using auxin to degrade DAF-2 protein in specific tissues like the intestine can effectively reduce signaling and alter lifespan 3. Other Factors: Tissue-Specific Effects: The effects of DAF-2 signaling can be tissue-specific, with some tissues like the intestine playing a more prominent role in lifespan regulation. Developmental Regulation: DAF-2 activity can be regulated differently during development, with some alleles exhibiting gain-of-function or loss-of-function phenotypes depending on the developmental stage. In summary, reducing DAF-2 activity can be achieved through genetic modifications, dietary interventions, and pharmacological agents that interfere with its function or downstream signaling pathways, ultimately impacting lifespan and other biological processes. Daf 2 mutation do 2 things 1 induce a stress response apoptosis and 2 reduce tumor mitosis . insulin and igf1 signaling promote growth & food storage Low insulin & iGF1 activate protective cell response that prolong life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WPV15GZ4B8
Genes From the Fountain of Youth with Cynthia Kenyon, PhD - May 11, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxfLm30FHwA
Cynthia Kenyon (UCSF) Part 2: :The Regulation of Aging by Signals from the Reproductive System
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg-d2XA_uqk
Scientist Stories: Cynthia Kenyon, Staying Ahead of the Curve

DNA in 1869, Swiss biochemist Friedrich Miescher discovered a molecule in white blood cells that he called "nuclein". Miescher's discovery was later renamed nucleic acid and then deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Virus make up 8 percent of the human genome, & a new study finds that these sequences are still active in healthy people. Deoxyribonucleic acid is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses. DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are nucleic acids. Alongside proteins, lipids and complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides), nucleic acids are one of the four major types of macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life. Jim Watson contributed to the discovery of DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses. DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are nucleic acids. Alongside proteins, lipids and complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides), nucleic acids are one of the four major types of macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life. The two DNA strands are known as polynucleotides as they are composed of simpler monomeric units called nucleotides. Each nucleotide is composed of one of four nitrogen-containing nucleobases (cytosine [C], guanine [G], adenine [A] or thymine [T]), a sugar called deoxyribose, and a phosphate group. The nucleotides are joined to one another in a chain by covalent bonds (known as the phosphodiester linkage) between the sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate of the next, resulting in an alternating sugar-phosphate backbone. The nitrogenous bases of the two separate polynucleotide strands are bound together, according to base pairing rules (A with T and C with G), with hydrogen bonds to make double-stranded DNA. The complementary nitrogenous bases are divided into two groups, the single-ringed pyrimidines and the double-ringed purines. In DNA, the pyrimidines are thymine and cytosine; the purines are adenine and guanine. Both strands of double-stranded DNA store the same biological information. This information is replicated when the two strands separate. A large part of DNA (more than 98% for humans) is non-coding, meaning that these sections do not serve as patterns for protein sequences. The two strands of DNA run in opposite directions to each other and are thus antiparallel. Attached to each sugar is one of four types of nucleobases (or bases). It is the sequence of these four nucleobases along the backbone that encodes genetic information. RNA strands are created using DNA strands as a template in a process called transcription, where DNA bases are exchanged for their corresponding bases except in the case of thymine (T), for which RNA substitutes uracil (U). Under the genetic code, these RNA strands specify the sequence of amino acids within proteins in a process called translation. Within eukaryotic cells, DNA is organized into long structures called chromosomes. Before typical cell division, these chromosomes are duplicated in the process of DNA replication, providing a complete set of chromosomes for each daughter cell. Eukaryotic organisms (animals, plants, fungi and protists) store most of their DNA inside the cell nucleus as nuclear DNA, and some in the mitochondria as mitochondrial DNA or in chloroplasts as chloroplast DNA. In contrast, prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) store their DNA only in the cytoplasm, in circular chromosomes. Within eukaryotic chromosomes, chromatin proteins, such as histones, compact and organize DNA. These compacting structures guide the interactions between DNA and other proteins, helping control which parts of the DNA are transcribed.  Later studies sought to build on the work of the Human Genome Project and have provided additional details on the genome sequence. We now know that the human genome contains about 19,900 genes used to produce proteins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8DDenDpiSU
DNA - Episode 1 of 5: The Secret of Life - PBS Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5r5UzheO-o
DNA Episode 2 of 5 Playing God PBS Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZvPZke8NXc
DNA - Episode 3 of 5 - The Human Race - PBS Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-ZNT--epnw
DNA Episode 4 of 5 Curing Cancer ✪ PBS Nova Documentary Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8iGEGPL3-E
DNA - Episode 5 of 5 - Pandora's Box - PBS Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qav579ZURpk
The world's oldest DNA: Extinct beasts of ancient Greenland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GX24jmsNIc
This Is What All Life is Made Of | Cell | BBC Earth Science
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAdQdhwBvww
DNA: the Secret of Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvdxGDJogtA
How I discovered DNA - James Watson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZAmbbTcQ3M
Your Operating System ｜Eukaryotic Transcription

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhDLA6ZPQQI
100 Greatest Discoveries 6 Genetics2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DogyzX7kxK8
Biology 1010 Lecture 10 DNA Transcription Translation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OsWLNqoWLA
The Gene: An Intimate History - Episode 1 (2020) | Full Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Af6FqaetQ
The Gene: An Intimate History - Episode 2 (2020) | Full Documentary