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rpsa-1

C. elegans

Small ribosomal subunit protein uS2

What the model saw

Gene: rpsa-1
Organism: Caenorhabditis elegans
Known functions: Small ribosomal subunit protein uS2. protein binding. structural constituent of ribosome.
View unredacted entry
Small ribosomal subunit protein uS2. protein binding. structural constituent of ribosome.

Solver output

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

rpsa-1 encodes the small ribosomal subunit protein uS2, a core structural component of the 40S ribosomal subunit required for mRNA translation initiation and global protein synthesis. Ribosomal activity is tightly coupled to nutrient-sensing pathways, particularly TOR (mTORC1) signaling, which upregulates ribosome biogenesis and translational output in nutrient-rich conditions. In C. elegans, reduced ribosomal function — through partial loss-of-function of small subunit proteins — is well-established to extend lifespan, likely by mimicking dietary restriction and dampening mTOR-driven anabolic signaling. The normal (full) function of rpsa-1 therefore sustains high translational capacity, promoting growth and reproduction at the expense of longevity. This is consistent with the broader finding that ribosomal protein knockdowns (e.g., rps-6, rps-11) extend lifespan in worms via reduced protein synthesis and activation of stress-response pathways.

Key pathways
mTOR/TOR nutrient-sensing and ribosome biogenesistranslational regulation and protein synthesisdietary restriction mimicry via reduced ribosomal activity
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 rpsa-1. The mechanistic reasoning is sound: rpsa-1 encodes a small ribosomal subunit protein (uS2/40S), and reduced ribosomal function in C. elegans is well-established to extend lifespan, making the normal function of rpsa-1 anti-longevity. The model correctly connects this to TOR/nutrient-sensing pathways and dietary restriction mimicry, and cites relevant analogous ribosomal protein knockdowns. The mechanism class "deregulated_nutrient_sensing" is a reasonable (if slightly imprecise) categorization — the more direct mechanism is reduced protein synthesis/translational capacity, but TOR signaling is indeed closely linked. Confidence of 0.72 is appropriate given the indirect inference from gene function. Overall a well-reasoned, correct prediction.

Raw API responses

solver

{
  "reasoning": "rpsa-1 encodes the small ribosomal subunit protein uS2, a core structural component of the 40S ribosomal subunit required for mRNA translation initiation and global protein synthesis. Ribosomal activity is tightly coupled to nutrient-sensing pathways, particularly TOR (mTORC1) signaling, which upregulates ribosome biogenesis and translational output in nutrient-rich conditions. In C. elegans, reduced ribosomal function — through partial loss-of-function of small subunit proteins — is well-established to extend lifespan, likely by mimicking dietary restriction and dampening mTOR-driven anabolic signaling. The normal (full) function of rpsa-1 therefore sustains high translational capacity, promoting growth and reproduction at the expense of longevity. This is consistent with the broader finding that ribosomal protein knockdowns (e.g., rps-6, rps-11) extend lifespan in worms via reduced protein synthesis and activation of stress-response pathways.",
  "confidence": 0.72,
  "key_pathways": [
    "mTOR/TOR nutrient-sensing and ribosome biogenesis",
    "translational regulation and protein synthesis",
    "dietary restriction mimicry via reduced ribosomal activity"
  ],
  "mechanism_class": "deregulated_nutrient_sensing",
  "longevity_influence": "anti_longevity"
}

advisor

{
  "notes": "The model correctly predicted anti_longevity for rpsa-1. The mechanistic reasoning is sound: rpsa-1 encodes a small ribosomal subunit protein (uS2/40S), and reduced ribosomal function in C. elegans is well-established to extend lifespan, making the normal function of rpsa-1 anti-longevity. The model correctly connects this to TOR/nutrient-sensing pathways and dietary restriction mimicry, and cites relevant analogous ribosomal protein knockdowns. The mechanism class \"deregulated_nutrient_sensing\" is a reasonable (if slightly imprecise) categorization — the more direct mechanism is reduced protein synthesis/translational capacity, but TOR signaling is indeed closely linked. Confidence of 0.72 is appropriate given the indirect inference from gene function. Overall a well-reasoned, correct prediction.",
  "failure_mode": "correct",
  "answer_correct": true,
  "mechanism_correct": true,
  "reasoning_quality": 4,
  "ground_truth_questionable": false
}
rpsa-1 · Caenorhabditis elegans | Aging biology eval