A transcription elongation factor that links signals from the reproductive system to lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans.
In Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, the aging of the soma is influenced by the germline. When germline-stem cells are removed, aging slows and lifespan is increased. The mechanism by which somatic tissues respond to loss of the germline is not well-understood. Surprisingly, we hav...
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2009-09-01
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doaj-4751a03986cf4f9585c52f18a9e4ef052020-11-24T21:56:53ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Genetics1553-73901553-74042009-09-0159e100063910.1371/journal.pgen.1000639A transcription elongation factor that links signals from the reproductive system to lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans.Arjumand GhaziSivan Henis-KorenblitCynthia KenyonIn Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, the aging of the soma is influenced by the germline. When germline-stem cells are removed, aging slows and lifespan is increased. The mechanism by which somatic tissues respond to loss of the germline is not well-understood. Surprisingly, we have found that a predicted transcription elongation factor, TCER-1, plays a key role in this process. TCER-1 is required for loss of the germ cells to increase C. elegans' lifespan, and it acts as a regulatory switch in the pathway. When the germ cells are removed, the levels of TCER-1 rise in somatic tissues. This increase is sufficient to trigger key downstream events, as overexpression of tcer-1 extends the lifespan of normal animals that have an intact reproductive system. Our findings suggest that TCER-1 extends lifespan by promoting the expression of a set of genes regulated by the conserved, life-extending transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO. Interestingly, TCER-1 is not required for DAF-16/FOXO to extend lifespan in animals with reduced insulin/IGF-1 signaling. Thus, TCER-1 specifically links the activity of a broadly deployed transcription factor, DAF-16/FOXO, to longevity signals from reproductive tissues.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2729384?pdf=render |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Arjumand Ghazi Sivan Henis-Korenblit Cynthia Kenyon |
spellingShingle |
Arjumand Ghazi Sivan Henis-Korenblit Cynthia Kenyon A transcription elongation factor that links signals from the reproductive system to lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genetics |
author_facet |
Arjumand Ghazi Sivan Henis-Korenblit Cynthia Kenyon |
author_sort |
Arjumand Ghazi |
title |
A transcription elongation factor that links signals from the reproductive system to lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans. |
title_short |
A transcription elongation factor that links signals from the reproductive system to lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans. |
title_full |
A transcription elongation factor that links signals from the reproductive system to lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans. |
title_fullStr |
A transcription elongation factor that links signals from the reproductive system to lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans. |
title_full_unstemmed |
A transcription elongation factor that links signals from the reproductive system to lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans. |
title_sort |
transcription elongation factor that links signals from the reproductive system to lifespan extension in caenorhabditis elegans. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
series |
PLoS Genetics |
issn |
1553-7390 1553-7404 |
publishDate |
2009-09-01 |
description |
In Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, the aging of the soma is influenced by the germline. When germline-stem cells are removed, aging slows and lifespan is increased. The mechanism by which somatic tissues respond to loss of the germline is not well-understood. Surprisingly, we have found that a predicted transcription elongation factor, TCER-1, plays a key role in this process. TCER-1 is required for loss of the germ cells to increase C. elegans' lifespan, and it acts as a regulatory switch in the pathway. When the germ cells are removed, the levels of TCER-1 rise in somatic tissues. This increase is sufficient to trigger key downstream events, as overexpression of tcer-1 extends the lifespan of normal animals that have an intact reproductive system. Our findings suggest that TCER-1 extends lifespan by promoting the expression of a set of genes regulated by the conserved, life-extending transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO. Interestingly, TCER-1 is not required for DAF-16/FOXO to extend lifespan in animals with reduced insulin/IGF-1 signaling. Thus, TCER-1 specifically links the activity of a broadly deployed transcription factor, DAF-16/FOXO, to longevity signals from reproductive tissues. |
url |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2729384?pdf=render |
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