Metabolism, physiology and stress defense in three aging Ins/IGF-1 mutants of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

The insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (Ins/IGF-1) pathway regulates the aging rate of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We describe other features of the three Ins/IGF-1 mutants daf-2, age-1 and aap-1. We show that the investigated Ins/IGF-1 mutants all have a reduced body volume, reduced reproductive capacity, increased ATP concentrations and an elevated stress resistance. We also observed that heat production is lower in these mutants, although the respiration rate was similar or higher compared with wild-type individuals, suggesting a metabolic shift in these mutants.