Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Label-Free Imaging of Lipid Storage Dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy
10:59

Label-Free Imaging of Lipid Storage Dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy

Published on: May 28, 2021

Canonical insulin receptor/DAF-2 signaling-independent patterning and role for FoxO/DAF-16 in early embryos

Michael S Mauro, Jessica M Peiser, Sophia L Martin

    Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
    |August 20, 2026
    PubMed

    Insights

    Forkhead box O (FoxO) transcription factors, like DAF-16 in C. elegans, are crucial for development. This study reveals DAF-16

    Area of Science:

    • Developmental Biology
    • Genetics
    • Cell Biology

    Background:

    • Forkhead box O (FoxO) transcription factors, including DAF-16 in *C. elegans*, are vital for conserved processes like metabolism, aging, and development.
    • Insulin receptor signaling (DAF-2 in *C. elegans*) typically inhibits FoxO/DAF-16, but other regulatory pathways exist.
    • Severe loss-of-function mutations in *daf-2* and *daf-16* together cause high embryonic lethality in *C. elegans*, a phenomenon not understood.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the role and localization of DAF-16 during early *C. elegans* embryogenesis.
    • To elucidate the cause of synthetic lethality observed in *daf-2*; *daf-16* double mutants.
    • To identify novel regulatory pathways and functions of DAF-16 in embryonic development.

    Main Methods:

    • Utilized genetics and quantitative imaging techniques in *C. elegans* embryos.
    • Performed lineage tracing to track cell fate and DAF-16 localization.
    • Analyzed mitotic chromosome segregation and morphogenesis in mutant embryos.

    Main Results:

    • DAF-16 exhibited uniform low-level nuclear localization before the 8-cell stage.
    • From the 8-cell to 64-cell stages, DAF-16 became enriched in germ lineage cell nuclei.
    • This germ lineage-specific DAF-16 patterning was dependent on germ fate determinants and PTEN/DAF-18, but independent of DAF-2 activity and maternal age.
    • Severe *daf-16; daf-2* double mutants displayed significant defects in morphogenesis and chromosome segregation from the 1-cell stage.

    Conclusions:

    • Identified a novel germ lineage-specific localization pattern for DAF-16 in early *C. elegans* embryos.
    • Demonstrated a DAF-2 signaling-independent function for DAF-16 critical for early embryogenesis, including morphogenesis and chromosome segregation.
    • The findings shed light on the complex regulation and essential roles of DAF-16 beyond canonical insulin signaling pathways.

    More Related Videos

    A Protocol for Immunohistochemistry and RNA In-situ Distribution within Early Drosophila Embryo14:34

    A Protocol for Immunohistochemistry and RNA In-situ Distribution within Early Drosophila Embryo

    Published on: May 6, 2022

    The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions07:34

    The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions

    Published on: February 16, 2017

    Related Concept Videos

    Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways01:28

    Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways

    Insulin action is mediated through a receptor tyrosine kinase, akin to the IGF-1 receptor. The number of receptors per cell varies significantly, from 40 on erythrocytes to 300,000 on adipocytes and hepatocytes. The insulin receptor consists of linked α/β subunit dimers, forming a heterotetramer glycoprotein with two extracellular α subunits and two β subunits spanning the membrane. The α subunits inhibit the inherent tyrosine kinase activity of the β subunits, but this inhibition is released...
    Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways01:41

    Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways

    Wnt is a zygotic effect gene that is expressed during very early embryonic development. It regulates various processes in animals starting from early development through the adult stage, such as organogenesis in the embryo and maintenance of neuronal and blood stem cells. Wnt proteins can induce a wide variety of intracellular pathways depending upon the specific abilities of different Wnt ligands to form a complex with shared and cognate receptors in the presence of different co-receptors. The...
    PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway01:22

    PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

    The mammalian target of rapamycin  (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1  (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2  (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast,  mTORC2 consists of a rapamycin-insensitive companion...
    Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway02:54

    Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

    The gene encoding the main signaling molecules of the Wnt signaling pathways (the Wnt proteins) was discovered almost four decades ago by Nüsslein-Volhard and Wieschaus. They identified and originally named the gene "wingless" (wg) after a phenotype discovered during their landmark genetic screen in Drosophila for body pattern defects. At around the same time, another researcher named Harold Varmus found that a murine tumor virus activates the mammalian wg homolog, Int-1, which results in tumor...