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Review
. 2013 Dec 7;5(4):281-91.
doi: 10.14336/AD.2014.0500281. eCollection 2014 Aug.

Nothobranchius as a model for aging studies. A review

Alejandro Lucas-Sánchez  1 , Pedro Francisco Almaida-Pagán  2 , Pilar Mendiola  1 , Jorge de Costa  1
Affiliations
Review

Nothobranchius as a model for aging studies. A review

Alejandro Lucas-Sánchez et al. Aging Dis. .

Abstract

In recent decades, the increase in human longevity has made it increasingly important to expand our knowledge on aging. To accomplish this, the use of animal models is essential, with the most common being mouse (phylogenetically similar to humans, and a model with a long life expectancy) and Caenorhabditis elegans (an invertebrate with a short life span, but quite removed from us in evolutionary terms). However, some sort of model is needed to bridge the differences between those mentioned above, achieving a balance between phylogenetic distance and life span. Fish of the genus Nothobranchius were suggested 10 years ago as a possible alternative for the study of the aging process. In the meantime, numerous studies have been conducted at different levels: behavioral (including the study of the rest-activity rhythm), populational, histochemical, biochemical and genetic, among others, with very positive results. This review compiles what we know about Nothobranchius to date, and examines its future prospects as a true alternative to the classic models for studies on aging.

Keywords: Aging; Fish; Nothobranchius; killifish.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Advantages of Nothobranchius genus as a model for aging studies
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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