Chapter 14 Lipid Metabolism , Lipid Signalling and Longevity

Ageing research gains more attention as the aged population increases worldwide and ageing-related diseases become more prevalent. Model organism research in the last three decades has shown that ageing is regulated via several genetic pathways and environmental interventions, most of which are evolutionarily conserved. C. elegans has been the powerhouse of ageing research since the discovery of mutant strains with doubled lifespan. Interestingly, the pathways that regulate C. elegans ageing often affect lipid biology as well. This chapter will focus on the interaction between lipid biology and ageing by introducing wellknown pathways that regulate ageing and how lipid levels, composition or distribution change when these pathways are defective. Last but not least, the signalling role for lipids in ageing will be discussed.