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| Session Information |
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| Session Title: Physiology and Aging Session Type: Poster |
| Session Location: Grand Exhibit Hall Session Time: Thursday - Saturday |
| Presentation Information |
| Poster Board Number: 853A Presentation Time: THU 3:00PM-4:00PM, 8:00PM-9:00PM; FRI 10:00PM-11:00PM; SAT 1:30PM-2:30PM; |
| Keywords: KW15b - metabolism |
| Presentation Content |
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Characterization of ponchik, a novel gene regulating appetite, adiposity, and lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster. Tammy P. Chan1,2, Sergiy Libert1,3, Emmeline Peng1, Jessica E. Zwiener1, Danielle A. Skorupa1,3, Scott D. Pletcher1,2,3,4. 1) Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; 2) Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; 3) Interdepartmental Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; 4) Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. Systems of energy balance and nutrient storage are evolutionarily conserved, suggesting that mechanistic links among longevity, energy utilization, and health are ancient. Identification of new genes involved in energy balance will lead to a better understanding of the effects of diet on obesity and health span and may provide insight into prevention of age-related functional decline. In a novel screen using Drosophila melanogaster, we identified a gene important for energy balance that we named ponchik. Ponchik mutant animals maintain high levels of triglycerides and exhibit increased fecundity, which are both suggestive of aberrant triglyceride mobilization and utilization. Additionally, these animals have elevated feeding rates, and preliminary data suggests that they are long-lived. Using Lac-Z staining of a ponchik reporter construct, we determined that the gene is expressed in the brain and ventral ganglion. Bioinformatic analysis revealed homology to human neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase) activation associated factor, which regulates sphingomyelin, a lipid surrounding nerve cell axons that has been implicated in aging and longevity. Finally, a series of mutant alleles of ponchik has been generated, allowing for detailed characterization of function. Our data suggest that ponchik may play a critical role in coordinating organismal responses to nutrients. Current studies are aimed at elucidating how different nutrients are utilized in ponchik mutants and at molecular characterization of these alleles. |
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