Towards a deep understanding of the fundamental and universal mechanism of biotic aging

Shi V. Liu

Eagle Institute of Molecular Medicine, USA

SVL@logibio.com

 

Until recently, biotic aging has been regarded as a unique feature of multicellular organisms and unicellular organisms have been regarded essentially as immortal.  However, new studies have now provided independent support to my early conclusions that even unicellular organisms have limited life-span and aging and death are intrinsic properties rather than stochastic events of the unicellular lives.

 

The pioneering and the proof-of-concept studies on bacterial aging signal an end to the long-standing dichotomy in biology – fundamentally different views on the basic life principles between micro-organisms and macro-organisms.  More importantly, the hypothesis for linking DNA aging with the cell aging provides the first logical and mechanistic explanation for the relationship between the abiotic aging and the biotic aging and for the respective contribution of genetics and epigenetics to the biotic aging.  A new framework on how this molecule-cell aging linkage is preserved in the formation of multicellular organisms from single cells not only reveals the true essence of cell differentiation but also shows a clear roadmap for multicellular development.  Aided with appropriate cell tracking techniques, this new framework will guide the generation of various blue prints of cell lineages precisely and, more importantly, correctly.  Such well-defined spatial and temporal knowledge on cell origins and cell destinies will greatly enhance our understanding of the biotic aging from molecules to cells to cell-based higher order structures such as tissues, organs, and the whole organisms.

 

A new perspective on biotic aging will also shed light on the understanding of the evolution of aging process.  It turns out that our wish to live forever as our evolutionary unicellular ancestors is just a dream.  Biotic aging might have an evolutionary root as old as the first cells and this aging property of life may actually be underlined with the aging of its abiotic components.

 

Keywords: Aging, Life, DNA, Cell

 

Selected supporting publications (condensed references):

  1. Liu, S.V. 1999. Science in China (Series C: Life Science) 42:644-654 (in English); 29:571-579 (in Chinese).
  2. Liu, S.V. 1999. ASM News 65:185.
  3. Liu, S.V. 2000. Logi. Biol. 1: 5-16, 17-20 and 25-31.
  4. Liu, S.V. 2000. ASM News 66:123.
  5. Ackermann, M. et al. 2003. Science 300:1920.
  6. Liu, S.V. 2004. Logi. Biol. 4: 1-6, 7-15, 16-27 and 88-101.
  7. Liu, S.V. 2004. US Patent US6767734B.
  8. Liu, S.V. 2005. Logi. Biol. 5: 51-55, 58-65, 66-69, 88-91, 109-116.
  9. Liu, S.V. 2005. Trends Biotechnol. 23:9-10.
  10. Liu, S.V. 2005. ASM News 71:157-158.
  11. Stewart, E. et al. 2005. PloS Biol. 3: 295-300.

 

Abstract for a poster presented at the 3rd International Conference on Functional Genomics of Ageing (March 29-April 1, 2006, Palermo, Italy).

 

Other related links:

http://im1.biz/Aging.htm

http://im1.biz/StemCell.htm

http://im1.biz/Cloning.htm