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Updated: Aug 28, 2025
Quantification of Information Encoded by Gene Expression Levels During Lifespan Modulation Under Broad-range Dietary Restriction in C. elegans
Published on: August 16, 2017
Nutrient sensing pathways regulating adult reproductive diapause in C. elegans
Moriah Eustice1, Daniel Konzman1,2, Jeff M Reece3
1Laboratory of Cell Biochemistry and Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States America.
Dietary restriction extends lifespan by influencing metabolic pathways. This study reveals key genetic regulators of adult reproductive diapause (ARD) initiation and recovery in C. elegans, including fatty acid metabolism and nutrient-sensing pathways.
Area of Science:
- Longevity research
- Metabolic pathways
- Model organism studies
Background:
- Dietary restriction (DR) enhances healthspan and lifespan across species.
- Nutrient intake impacts overlapping metabolic pathways, yielding diverse outcomes.
- Mechanisms of diet-associated longevity remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate metabolic pathways regulating adult reproductive diapause (ARD) in C. elegans.
- Identify genetic factors contributing to ARD initiation, maintenance, and recovery.
Main Methods:
- Performed a candidate-based genetic screen of nutrient-sensing pathways.
- Analyzed ARD phases: initiation, maintenance, and recovery.
- Investigated downstream targets of the transcription factor NHR-49.
Main Results:
- ARD initiation is regulated by fatty acid metabolism, sirtuins, AMPK, and O-linked N-acetyl glucosamine (O-GlcNAc) pathways.
- ARD recovery is modulated by energy sensing, stress response, insulin-like signaling, and the TOR pathway.
- NHR-49 influences ARD initiation via fatty acid β-oxidation; neutral lipid levels correlate with ARD entry defects.
Conclusions:
- Identified conserved genetic pathways crucial for ARD entry and recovery in C. elegans.
- Uncovered genetic interactions providing insight into O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA) functions.
- Findings contribute to understanding diet-associated longevity mechanisms.
