Analysis of Egf Signaling in Healthy Aging Promotion in Caenorhabditis Elegans

OF THE DISSERTATION........................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.........................................................................iv TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................vi LIST OF FIGURES...............................................................................viii LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................xi CHAPTER 1 : Introduction.....................................................................1 Biology of aging..................................................................................2 Sarcopenia is one of the most prevalent conditions in aging and genetic approaches toward understanding...........................................................3 The benefit of addressing aging biology in simple organisms.......................3 Caenorhabditis elegans – a powerful model organism for the study of aging...4 Aging in C. elegans.............................................................................5 Evaluation of healthy aging in C. elegans.................................................6 The Insulin/IGF signaling pathway..........................................................9 EGF signaling is a conserved pathway in many organisms..........................10 Summary of thesis work.....................................................................11 CHAPTER 2 : Novel EGF pathway regulators modulate C. elegans healthspan and lifespan via EGF receptor, PLC-γ, and IP3 receptor activation..........................................................18 CHAPTER 3 : Deciphering mechanisms by which EGF signaling protects against the aging process................................................23 Introduction......................................................................................25