Bolm et al. raise an important issue that we have considered as well. Because many streptococcal species are able to quickly kill C. elegans through the production of hydrogen peroxide, and because long-lived C. elegans
daf-2 and
age-1 mutants are more resistant to oxidative stress, Bolm et al. suggest that the apparent resistance of these mutants to bacterial pathogens is a consequence of their tolerance to reactive oxygen species.