You are currently viewing the abstract.
View Full TextLog in to view the full text
AAAS login provides access to Science for AAAS members, and access to other journals in the Science family to users who have purchased individual subscriptions.
Register for free to read this article
As a service to the community, this article is available for free. Existing users log in.
More options
Download and print this article for your personal scholarly, research, and educational use.
Buy a single issue of Science for just $15 USD.
Abstract
The isoprenylated benzoquinone coenzyme Q is a redox-active lipid essential for electron transport in aerobic respiration. Here, we show that withdrawal of coenzyme Q (Q) from the diet of wild-type nematodes extends adult life-span by ∼60%. The longevity of clk-1,daf-2, daf-12, and daf-16 mutants is also extended by a Q-less diet. These results establish the importance of Q in life-span determination. The findings suggest that Q and thedaf-2 pathway intersect at the mitochondria and imply that a concerted production coupled with enhanced scavenging of reactive oxygen species contributes to the substantial life-span extension.
↵* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: larsen{at}chem.ucla.edu