Regulation of life-span by germ-line stem cells in Caenorhabditis elegans.
The germ line of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans influences life-span; when the germ-line precursor cells are removed, life-span is increased dramatically. We find that neither sperm, nor oocytes, nor meiotic precursor cells are responsible for this effect. Rather life-span is influenced by the proliferating germ-line stem cells. These cells, as well as a downstream transcriptional regulator, act in the adult to influence aging, indicating that the aging process remains plastic during adulthood. We propose that the germ-line stem cells affect life-span by influencing the production of, or the response to, a steroid hormone that promotes longevity.
Arantes-Oliveira
Nuno
N
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0448, USA.
Apfeld
Javier
J
Dillin
Andrew
A
Kenyon
Cynthia
C
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D008938:Mitosis; D009154:Mutation; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; C108831:daf-16 protein, C elegans