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Updated: Oct 16, 2025

Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model System to Study Protein Homeostasis in a Multicellular Organism
Published on: December 18, 2013
Protecting the future: balancing proteostasis for reproduction
Ambre J Sala1, Richard I Morimoto1
1Department of Molecular Biosciences, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201, USA.
Abstract:
The proteostasis network (PN) regulates protein synthesis, folding, and degradation and is critical for the health and function of all cells. The PN has been extensively studied in the context of aging and age-related diseases, and loss of proteostasis is regarded as a major contributor to many age-associated disorders. In contrast to somatic tissues, an important feature of germ cells is their ability to maintain a healthy proteome across generations. Accumulating evidence has now revealed multiple layers of PN regulation that support germ cell function, determine reproductive capacity during aging, and prioritize reproduction at the expense of somatic health. Here, we review recent insights into these different modes of regulation and their implications for reproductive and somatic aging.
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