Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-7qhmt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T08:17:42.244Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Evolution, stress, and longevity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2001

THOMAS B. L. KIRKWOOD
Affiliation:
Biological Gerontology Group, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
PANKAJ KAPAHI
Affiliation:
Biological Gerontology Group, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
DARYL P. SHANLEY
Affiliation:
Biological Gerontology Group, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Get access

Abstract

The disposable soma theory suggests that longevity is determined through the setting of longevity assurance mechanisms so as to provide an optimal compromise between investments in somatic maintenance (including stress resistance) and in reproduction. A corollary is that species with low extrinsic mortality are predicted to invest relatively more effort in maintenance, resulting in slower intrinsic ageing, than species with high extrinsic mortality. We tested this prediction in a comparative study of stress resistance in primary skin fibroblasts and confirmed that cells from long-lived species are indeed more resistant to a variant of stressors. A widely studied example of within-species variation in lifespan is the rodent calorie restriction model. Food-restricted animals show elevations in a range of stress response mechanisms, and it has been suggested that this is an outcome of natural selection for life history plasticity. We have developed a theoretical model for dynamic optimisation of the allocation of effort to maintenance and reproduction in response to fluctuations in food availability. The model supports the suggestion that the response to calorie restriction may be an evolutionary adaptation, raising interesting questions about the hierarchy of genetic control of multiple stress response systems. The model identifies ecological factors likely to support such an adaptation that may be relevant in considering the likely relevance of a similar response to calorie restriction in other species. Comparative and theoretical studies support the role of somatic maintenance and stress response systems in controlling the rate of ageing.

Type
Review
Copyright
© Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)