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A pathway that links reproductive status to lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans
Author(s) -
Kenyon Cynthia
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05640.x
Subject(s) - caenorhabditis elegans , biology , caenorhabditis , genetics , gene
In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the fruit fly Drosophila, loss of the germline stem cells activates lifespan‐extending FOXO‐family transcription factors in somatic tissues and extends lifespan, suggesting the existence of an evolutionarily conserved pathway that links reproductive state and aging. Consistent with this idea, reproductive tissues have been shown to influence the lifespans of mice and humans as well. In C. elegans, loss of the germ cells activates a pathway that triggers nuclear localization of the FOXO transcription factor DAF‐16 in endodermal tissue. DAF‐16 then acts in the endoderm to activate downstream lifespan‐extending genes. DAF‐16 is also required for inhibition of insulin/insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) signaling to extend lifespan. However, the mechanisms by which inhibition of insulin/IGF‐1 signaling and germline loss activate DAF‐16/FOXO are distinct. As loss of the germ cells further doubles the already‐long lifespan of insulin/IGF‐1 pathway mutants, a better understanding of this reproductive longevity pathway could potentially suggest powerful ways to increase healthy lifespan in humans.