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rps-12

C. elegans

Small ribosomal subunit protein eS12

What the model saw

Gene: rps-12
Organism: Caenorhabditis elegans
Known functions: Small ribosomal subunit protein eS12. structural constituent of ribosome.
View unredacted entry
Small ribosomal subunit protein eS12. structural constituent of ribosome.

Solver output

Predicted influence
Anti-longevity
Confidence
72%
Mechanism
Deregulated nutrient sensing
Reasoning

rps-12 encodes the small (40S) ribosomal subunit protein eS12, a structural component required for ribosome assembly and global mRNA translation. In C. elegans, reduced ribosomal activity — through RNAi knockdown of small subunit proteins including rps genes — consistently extends lifespan, acting downstream of or in parallel to the TOR/TORC1 nutrient-sensing pathway, which promotes ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis. Full ribosomal function drives high translational output, which is associated with accelerated aging; conversely, partial ribosome insufficiency triggers a conserved longevity response linked to reduced TOR signaling and activation of stress-response programs. Therefore, the normal (full) function of rps-12 promotes translation and opposes longevity.

Key pathways
TOR/TORC1 nutrient-sensing and ribosome biogenesismRNA translation via 40S ribosomal small subunitribosomal protein-mediated longevity regulation
Longevity influence
Anti-longevity
Lifespan effect
Increase

GenAge curators classify each gene's normal function as promoting (Pro-Longevity) or opposing (Anti-Longevity) longevity, based on synthesis across studies. Loss-of-function effects can vary from this depending on the manipulation.

Advisor judgment

Answer
Correct
Mechanism
Correct
Reasoning quality
4/5
Failure mode
Correct
Notes

The model correctly predicted anti_longevity for rps-12. The mechanistic reasoning is sound: ribosomal protein knockdown in C. elegans extends lifespan, meaning full rps-12 function promotes translation and opposes longevity. The TOR/TORC1 connection is reasonable and well-established in the literature. The mechanism class "deregulated_nutrient_sensing" is a slight oversimplification — the primary mechanism is reduced translation/ribosome function rather than nutrient sensing per se — but it's not wrong given TOR's role in ribosome biogenesis. Overall, solid reasoning with appropriate confidence.

Raw API responses

solver

{
  "reasoning": "rps-12 encodes the small (40S) ribosomal subunit protein eS12, a structural component required for ribosome assembly and global mRNA translation. In C. elegans, reduced ribosomal activity — through RNAi knockdown of small subunit proteins including rps genes — consistently extends lifespan, acting downstream of or in parallel to the TOR/TORC1 nutrient-sensing pathway, which promotes ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis. Full ribosomal function drives high translational output, which is associated with accelerated aging; conversely, partial ribosome insufficiency triggers a conserved longevity response linked to reduced TOR signaling and activation of stress-response programs. Therefore, the normal (full) function of rps-12 promotes translation and opposes longevity.",
  "confidence": 0.72,
  "key_pathways": [
    "TOR/TORC1 nutrient-sensing and ribosome biogenesis",
    "mRNA translation via 40S ribosomal small subunit",
    "ribosomal protein-mediated longevity regulation"
  ],
  "mechanism_class": "deregulated_nutrient_sensing",
  "longevity_influence": "anti_longevity"
}

advisor

{
  "notes": "The model correctly predicted anti_longevity for rps-12. The mechanistic reasoning is sound: ribosomal protein knockdown in C. elegans extends lifespan, meaning full rps-12 function promotes translation and opposes longevity. The TOR/TORC1 connection is reasonable and well-established in the literature. The mechanism class \"deregulated_nutrient_sensing\" is a slight oversimplification — the primary mechanism is reduced translation/ribosome function rather than nutrient sensing per se — but it's not wrong given TOR's role in ribosome biogenesis. Overall, solid reasoning with appropriate confidence.",
  "failure_mode": "correct",
  "answer_correct": true,
  "mechanism_correct": true,
  "reasoning_quality": 4,
  "ground_truth_questionable": false
}