Cell nonautonomy of C. elegans daf-2 function in the regulation of diapause and life span.
The insulin/IGF receptor homolog DAF-2 regulates the aging in C. elegans. Decreasing daf-2 activity causes fertile adults to remain active much longer than normal and to live more than twice as long. A more severe decrease in daf-2 function causes young larvae to enter a state of diapause rather than progressing to adulthood. We have asked which cells require daf-2 gene activity in order for the animal to develop to adulthood and to age normally. We found that daf-2 functions cell nonautonomously in both processes. Our findings imply that the life span of C. elegans is determined by a signaling cascade in which the DAF-2 receptor acts in multiple cell lineages to regulate the production or activity of a secondary signal (or signals), which, in turn, controls the growth and longevity of individual tissues in the animal.
Apfeld
J
J
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448, USA. japfeld@itsa.ucsf.edu
Kenyon
C
C
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D008136:Longevity; D009030:Mosaicism; D009154:Mutation / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000235:genetics*
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C107483:DAF-2 protein, C elegans; D011972:Receptor, Insulin