Structural and functional conservation of the C. elegans clock gene clk-1

• Main Authors: THOMAS BARNES, JONATHAN EWBANK, SIEGFRIED HEKIMI, BERNARD LAKOWSKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 31.01.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CARE OF BIRDS, FISHES, INSECTS; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; FISHING; FORESTRY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; HYGIENE; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEPTIDES; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS ORMEDICINAL PREPARATIONS; SPIRITS; TRAPPING; VINEGAR; WINE

The present invention relates to a clk-1 gene which has a function at the level of cellular physiology involved in developmental rate and longevity, wherein clk-1 mutants have a longer life and a altered cellular metabolism relative to the wild-type. There is also provided a method for the diagnosis and/or prognosis of cancer in a patient, which comprises the steps of: a) obtaining a tissue sample from the patient; b) analyzing DNA of the obtained tissue sample of step a) to determine if the human clk-1 gene is altered, wherein alteration of the human clk-1 gene is indicative of cancer. There is also provided a method of treatment of pathological conditions causing slowdown of physiological rate of tissue and/or organ in a patient.