Nomenclature in Various Organisms
The three letter yeast gene symbol Sir stands for Silent Information Regulator while the number 2 is representative of the fact that it was the second SIR gene discovered and characterized. The term sirtuin is derived from Sir2 and stands for Silent Information Regulator Two (Sir2) protein.
The name Sir2 is used for the enzyme in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (where it was first discovered), in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, while in the roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans, Sir-2.1 is used to denote the gene product most similar to yeast Sir2 in structure and activity.
The various sirtuins in mammals are referred to as SIRT1-SIRT7 with SIRT1 being the mammalian ortholog closest in structure and function to Sir2.
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Famous quotes containing the word organisms:
“The white man regards the universe as a gigantic machine hurtling through time and space to its final destruction: individuals in it are but tiny organisms with private lives that lead to private deaths: personal power, success and fame are the absolute measures of values, the things to live for. This outlook on life divides the universe into a host of individual little entities which cannot help being in constant conflict thereby hastening the approach of the hour of their final destruction.”
—Policy statement, 1944, of the Youth League of the African National Congress. pt. 2, ch. 4, Fatima Meer, Higher than Hope (1988)