biological terminology: sirtuins

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

from the NYT Science Times, 11/7/06, p. D4, story on anti-aging drugs:

Both species possess a gene called SIRT1, which is the counterpart to
the sir-2 gene.  But they have also evolved six extra SIRT genes,
known as SIRTs 2 to 7, which seem to perform related tasks.  The
protein enzymes made by the genes are known as sirtuins, a word
biologists have derived, with a simplicity likely to make
etymologists wince, from sir-2.

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