title: Reproductive aging in invertebrate genetic models.
abstract: The invertebrate genetic systems of Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster are emerging models to understand the underlying mechanisms of reproductive aging and the relationship between reproduction and lifespan. Both animals show progressive decline in egg production beginning at early middle age, caused in part by reduction in germline stem cell proliferation as well as in survival of developing eggs. Molecular genetic analysis reveals that insulin and TGF-beta signaling are regulators of germline stem cell maintenance and proliferation during aging. Furthermore, the lifespan of both C. elegans and D. melanogaster appears to be regulated by signaling that depends on the presence of germline stem cells in the adult gonad. These invertebrate models provide powerful tools to dissect conserved causes of reproductive aging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA. Marc_Tatar@Brown.edu
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatar
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta