RNAi for four of the ten genes (encoding a transcription factor and three components of distinct protein-kinase signaling cascades) produced highly significant gains in peroxide survival (each P <0.001), and a fifth dsRNA exposure offered marginally significant protection ( vps-34 , P <0.03).
Silencing involves both daf-16 –dependent and –independent routes Of 35 nominally significant ( P <0.01) transcriptional differences between age-1(mg44) F2 and N2DRM adults, 25 were completely reversed (to within 20% of the N2DRM level, or over-reverted) by mutations inactivating daf-16 ; a further 9 genes showed partial reversion, while two, daf-2 and pmk-2 , did not revert at all.
Relative to wild-type N2DRM, age-1(hx546) worms had 16% less phosphoprotein staining (marginally significant at P <0.05), while age-1(mg44) homozygous F2 adults showed a 41% reduction in steady-state phosphoprotein level ( P <0.001).