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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Author Spotlight: Automated Lifespan Monitoring – Discovering Aging Dynamics with the Lifespan Machine
Published on: January 26, 2024
Genetic and pharmacological interventions in the aging motor nervous system slow motor aging and extend life span in
Guang Li1,2, Jianke Gong1,2, Jie Liu2,3
1International Research Center for Sensory Biology and Technology of MOST, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, and College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China.
Abstract:
As animals and humans age, the motor system undergoes a progressive functional decline, leading to frailty. Age-dependent functional deteriorations at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) contribute to this motor aging. However, it is unclear whether one can intervene in this process to slow motor aging. The Caenorhabditis elegans BK channel SLO-1 dampens synaptic transmission at NMJs by repressing synaptic release from motor neurons. Here, we show that genetic ablation of SLO-1 not only reduces the rate of age-dependent motor activity decline to slow motor aging but also surprisingly extends life span. SLO-1 acts in motor neurons to mediate both functions. Genetic knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of SLO-1 in aged, but not young, worms can slow motor aging and prolong longevity. Our results demonstrate that genetic and pharmacological interventions in the aging motor nervous system can promote both health span and life span.
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