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Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Automated Behavioral Analysis of Large C. elegans Populations Using a Wide Field-of-view Tracking Platform
Published on: November 28, 2018
Rapid population-wide declines in stem cell number and activity during reproductive aging in C. elegans
Zuzana Kocsisova1,2, Kerry Kornfeld1, Tim Schedl3
1Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Abstract:
C. elegans hermaphrodites display dramatic age-related decline of reproduction early in life, while somatic functions are still robust. To understand reproductive aging, we analyzed the assembly line of oocyte production that generates fertilized eggs. Aging germlines displayed both sporadic and population-wide changes. A small fraction of aging animals displayed endomitotic oocytes in the germline and other defects. By contrast, all animals displayed age-related decreases in germline size and function. As early as day 3 of adulthood, animals displayed fewer stem cells and a slower cell cycle, which combine to substantially decrease progenitor zone output. The C. elegans germline is the only adult tissue that contains stem cells, allowing the analysis of stem cells in aging. To investigate the mechanism of the decrease in stem cell number, we analyzed the Notch signaling pathway. The Notch effectors LST-1 and SYGL-1 displayed age-related decreases in expression domains, suggesting a role for Notch signaling in germline aging. The results indicate that although sporadic defects account for the sterility of some animals, population-wide changes account for the overall pattern of reproductive aging.
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