Dr. Nora Volkow, a psychiatrist at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Dr. Robert Moyzis, professor of biological chemistry at UC Irvine, have discovered a gene variant named the DRD4 7R allele that is related to longevity of life in humans through a research project.
Genetic samples from 310 participants who were 90 years of age or older were analyzed. This elderly age group had 66 per cent more of this gene variant than the control group that consisted of those between seven and 45 years of age. Also, those who exercise regularly were found to be more likely to carry this variant.
The allele reduces the amount of dopamine signaling in the brain while enhancing a person’s reactivity to their surroundings. But how does this gene variant influence longevity? The researchers believe that those who carry this allele variant are more motivated in various activities including physical, intellectual and social. Hence, this variant is associated with an outgoing personality that has been shown in previous research studies to lengthen lifespan.
Being active in various activities has also been demonstrated to decrease the rate of deterioration in certain diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Moyzis has previously studied molecular evolutionary research along with Dr. Chen, a professor of psychology at UC Irvine, and discovered that this particular allele was selected for by natural selection when humans moved out of Africa thousands of years ago.
Volkow and Dr. Thanos, a neuroscientist and colleague at Brookhaven National Library, performed another study in which it was found that mice without the variant had a shorter lifespan than those with the variant. Further studies will need to be conducted in order to discover clinical benefits.
Source: Science Daily
