Research Topics
Species | JOHN GERARD TOWERSummaryAffiliation: University of Southern California Country: USA Publications
Research Grants
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Detail Information
Publications
Doxycycline-induced expression of sense and inverted-repeat constructs modulates phosphogluconate mutase (Pgm) gene expression in adult Drosophila melanogasterMichael J Allikian
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1340, USA
Genome Biol 3:research0021. 2002..CONCLUSIONS: A system for conditional RNAi in Drosophila adults shows promise for assay of gene functions during aging. Our results indicate that Pgm does not have a simple strong effect on longevity...- Transcriptional profiling of MnSOD-mediated lifespan extension in Drosophila reveals a species-general network of aging and metabolic genesChristina Curtis
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 1340, USA
Genome Biol 8:R262. 2007..One question is whether these manipulations function through different mechanisms, or whether they intersect on common processes affecting aging... - A search for doxycycline-dependent mutations that increase Drosophila melanogaster life span identifies the VhaSFD, Sugar baby, filamin, fwd and Cctl genesGary N Landis
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 835 W 37th St, University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089 1340, USA
Genome Biol 4:R8. 2003..This functional genomics strategy allows for efficient screening of large numbers of genes for overexpression phenotypes... - Identifying sexual differentiation genes that affect Drosophila life spanJie Shen
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
BMC Geriatr 9:56. 2009..Moreover, the presence of a differentiated germ-line has been shown to affect life span in several species, including Drosophila and C. elegans... - Simultaneous tracking of fly movement and gene expression using GFPDhruv Grover
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
BMC Biotechnol 8:93. 2008..However, GFP has not generally been used as a reporter for circadian patterns of gene expression, and it has not previously been possible to correlate patterns of reporter expression with 3D movement and behavior of transgenic animals... - Transgenic methods for increasing Drosophila life spanJ Tower
Department of Biological Sciences, SHS172, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 1340, USA
Mech Ageing Dev 118:1-14. 2000..Using these techniques, over-expression of the hsp70, Cu/ZnSOD and MnSOD genes has each been demonstrated to increase Drosophila life span... - Simultaneous tracking of movement and gene expression in multiple Drosophila melanogaster flies using GFP and DsRED fluorescent reporter transgenesDhruv Grover
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089 2910, USA
BMC Res Notes 2:58. 2009..For example, in the future it should be possible to use gene expression levels to predict remaining life span more accurately, and to quantify gene expression changes caused by interactions between animals in real time... - Hsps and agingJohn Tower
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089 2910, USA
Trends Endocrinol Metab 20:216-22. 2009..The Hsps, therefore, provide a metric of individual stress and aging and are potential targets for interventions in aging and aging-related diseases... - The genetics of gender and life spanJohn Tower
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
J Biol 8:38. 2009..Two recent papers in BMC Evolutionary Biology on the effects of inbreeding provide additional insight into the genetic architecture underlying life span differences between genders in two different insects... - Sex-specific regulation of aging and apoptosisJohn Tower
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, University Park, Los Angeles, 90089 2910, USA
Mech Ageing Dev 127:705-18. 2006..Aging may simply represent an ancient and conserved mechanism by which genes re-assort... - Developmental gene amplification and origin regulationJohn Tower
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089 1340, USA
Annu Rev Genet 38:273-304. 2004..The studies indicate a regulatory role for chromatin structure and transcriptionally active genes near the origins... - Heat shock proteins and Drosophila agingJohn Tower
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
Exp Gerontol 46:355-62. 2011..The tools available for experimentally manipulating gene function and assaying healthspan in Drosophila provides an unparalleled opportunity to further study the role of Hsps in aging... - Setting a trap for aging-related genes in DrosophilaJohn Tower
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Sci Aging Knowledge Environ 2002:pe15. 2002..In this Perspective, the author discusses the implications of these results, including the possibility of using the enhancer trap lines to identify biomarkers of aging... - There's a problem in the furnaceJohn Tower
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Sci Aging Knowledge Environ 2004:pe1. 2004..The MnSOD null mutation is recessive lethal, with death occurring just after eclosion. In this Perspective, I discuss these results and related work in mice within the context of the oxidative damage theory of aging... - Expression of hsp22 and hsp70 transgenes is partially predictive of drosophila survival under normal and stress conditionsJunsheng Yang
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 1050 Childs Way, RRI 201, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 64:828-38. 2009..Expression of the hsp reporters in young flies was partially predictive of remaining life span: Young flies with high expression tended to die sooner under both control and stress conditions... - Sequence requirements for function of the Drosophila chorion gene locus ACE3 replicator and ori-beta origin elementsHongjun Zhang
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 1340, USA
Development 131:2089-99. 2004..Taken together, the data suggest a model in which ACE3 and ori-beta nucleate the formation of a ORC2-containing chromatin structure that spreads along the chromosome in a mechanism dependent upon chiffon... - Similar gene expression patterns characterize aging and oxidative stress in Drosophila melanogasterGary N Landis
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 1340, USA
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101:7663-8. 2004..Immune reporter expression in young flies was partially predictive of remaining life span, suggesting their potential as biomonitors of aging... - Doxycycline-regulated over-expression of hsp22 has negative effects on stress resistance and life span in adult Drosophila melanogasterDeepak Bhole
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90089 1340, USA
Mech Ageing Dev 125:651-63. 2004..The data demonstrate a specific over-expression phenotype for hsp22 and suggest that hsp22 interacts with heat and oxidative stress resistance pathways... - Drosophila foxo acts in males to cause sexual-dimorphism in tissue-specific p53 life span effectsJie Shen
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California Los Angeles, 1050 Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
Exp Gerontol 45:97-105. 2010..The data demonstrate that wild-type p53 over-expression can regulate life span independent of foxo, and suggest that foxo acts in males to produce sexually antagonistic life span effects of p53... - Hydrogen peroxide stimulates activity and alters behavior in Drosophila melanogasterDhruv Grover
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
PLoS ONE 4:e7580. 2009..Taken together, the data demonstrate that hydrogen peroxide has dramatic effects on fly movement and daily locomotor rhythms, and implicate hydrogen peroxide in the normal control of these processes... - Programmed cell death and apoptosis in aging and life span regulationJie Shen
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
Discov Med 8:223-6. 2009.... - Alteration of Drosophila life span using conditional, tissue-specific expression of transgenes triggered by doxycyline or RU486/MifepristoneDaniel Ford
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 1050 Childs Way, Room 201, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
Exp Gerontol 42:483-97. 2007..In contrast, motor-neuron-specific over-expression of MnSOD had no detectable effect on life span. The results suggest that motor-neuron tissue is not the essential tissue for either MnSOD induced longevity or toxicity in adult males... - Effects of simultaneous over-expression of Cu/ZnSOD and MnSOD on Drosophila melanogaster life spanJingtao Sun
Department of Biological Sciences, Molecular and Computational Biology Program, University of Southern California, 835 West 37th Street, University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089 1340 USA
Mech Ageing Dev 125:341-9. 2004..When the reduced efficiency of enzyme over-expression per transgene was taken into account, simultaneous over-expression of MnSOD and Cu/ZnSOD was found to have partially additive effects on life span... - Conditional inhibition of autophagy genes in adult Drosophila impairs immunity without compromising longevityChunli Ren
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
Exp Gerontol 44:228-35. 2009..The data indicate that Atg gene activity is required for normal immune function in adult flies, and suggest that neither autophagy nor immune function are limiting for adult life span under typical laboratory conditions... - Drosophila melanogaster p53 has developmental stage-specific and sex-specific effects on adult life span indicative of sexual antagonistic pleiotropyMorris Waskar
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
Aging (Albany NY) 1:903-36. 2009..These developmental stage-specific and sex-specific effects of p53 on adult life span are consistent with a sexual antagonistic pleiotropy model... - Increased internal and external bacterial load during Drosophila aging without life-span trade-offChunli Ren
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
Cell Metab 6:144-52. 2007.... - A screen of apoptosis and senescence regulatory genes for life span effects when over-expressed in DrosophilaJie Shen
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Aging (Albany NY) 1:191-211. 2009.... - Adult-specific over-expression of the Drosophila genes magu and hebe increases life span and modulates late-age female fecundityYishi Li
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
Mol Genet Genomics 281:147-62. 2009..The data demonstrate that adult-specific over-expression of hebe and magu can increase life span and modulate female fecundity, and provide further evidence against obligatory trade-offs between reproduction and longevity... - Induced overexpression of mitochondrial Mn-superoxide dismutase extends the life span of adult Drosophila melanogasterJingtao Sun
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, University Park, Los Angeles, California 90089 1340, USA
Genetics 161:661-72. 2002..Cu/ZnSOD overexpression also increases mean and maximum life span. For both MnSOD and Cu/ZnSOD lines, increased life span was not associated with decreased metabolic activity, as measured by O2 consumption... - Superoxide dismutase evolution and life span regulationGary N Landis
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, SHS172, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1340, USA
Mech Ageing Dev 126:365-79. 2005..gambiae contains an unusual internally repeated SOD. The most parsimonius conclusion from the analysis of the extracellular SODs is that they evolved independently multiple times by addition of a signal peptide to cytoplasmic SOD... - O fly, where art thou?Dhruv Grover
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 2910, USA
J R Soc Interface 5:1181-91. 2008..The system is suitable for a more detailed analysis of fly behaviour... - The murmur of old broken heartstringsJohn Tower
Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
Cell Metab 4:101-3. 2006..2006)... - Conditional switches for extracellular matrix patterning in Drosophila melanogasterArvinder Khokhar
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089 2910, USA
Genetics 178:1283-93. 2008....
Research Grants
- 2003 Gordon Research Conference - Biology of AgingJohn Tower; Fiscal Year: 2003..Significant funding is also provided by the Gordon Research Conference Organization, and additional funds are being solicited from private foundations and industry. ..
- DROSOPHILA LONGEVITY ASSURANCE GENESJohn Tower; Fiscal Year: 2003..PdL creates dominant conditional mutations, which should greatly facilitate the identification, characterization and cloning of novel Drosophila LAGs. ..
- Drosophila DNA Replication OriginsJohn Tower; Fiscal Year: 2005..The experiments will test a number of specific hypotheses as to the organization and regulation of the chorion locus DNA replication origins. ..
- AGING-SPECIFIC GENE EXPRESSION IN DROSOPHILAJohn Tower; Fiscal Year: 2006..The research involves genetic and transgenic manipulation of hsp gene expression and aging in Drosophila. The experiments will test several specific hypotheses relating aging and hsp gene expression. ..
- Aging specific gene expression in DrosophilaJOHN GERARD TOWER; Fiscal Year: 2010..By studying gene expression in aging Drosophila, we hope to better understand the basic mechanisms of aging, and to ultimately develop interventions for human aging-related diseases. ..
- DROSOPHILA LONGEVITY ASSURANCE GENESJohn Tower; Fiscal Year: 1993..6. Introduce selected transformation constructs, and enhancer-traps with aging-specific expression patterns, into new marked O[ry] and B[ry] strains. 7. Identify and clone rodent and human homologs of Drosophila LAGs...
- Aging specific gene expression in DrosophilaJohn Tower; Fiscal Year: 2009..By studying gene expression in aging Drosophila, we hope to better understand the basic mechanisms of aging, and to ultimately develop interventions for human aging-related diseases. ..