C. elegans clk-2, a gene that limits life span, encodes a telomere length regulator similar to yeast telomere binding protein Tel2p

An important quest in modern biology is to identify genes involved in aging. Model organisms such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are particularly useful in this regard. The C. elegans genome has been sequenced [1], and single gene mutations that extend adult life span have been identified [2]. Among these longevity-controlling loci are four apparently unrelated genes that belong to the clk family [3-5]. In mammals, telomere length and structure can influence cellular, and possibly organismal, aging [6]. Here, we show that clk-2 encodes a regulator of telomere length in C. elegans.