Genetic analysis of life-span in Caenorhabditis elegans.

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Abstract
Crosses between Bristol and Bergerac strains of the self-fertilizing hermaphroditic nematode C. elegans do not show the heterosis effects for life-span that complicate analysis of interstrain crosses with Drosophila or mice. Instead they yield F1 progeny with life-spans similar to those of the parent strains. By analysis of life-span variation among progeny F2 populations from such crosses and by 2 independent analyses of lifespans among recombinant inbred lines derived from F2 individuals by 18 rounds of self-fertilization, the heritability of life-span in C. elegans was estimated between 20% and 50%. Recombinant inbred lines show a range in mean life-spans of 10-31 days compared to life-spans of about 18 days for each of the 2 parental strains. Life-span variation in C. elegans has a substantial genetic component and that this organism offers promising opportunities for selective breeding of longer-lived strains and genetic analysis of senescence.