| Title: | A male pheromone that improves the quality of the oogenic germline |
| Author(s): | Aprison EZ; Dzitoyeva S; Angeles-Albores D; Ruvinsky I; |
| Address: | "Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1091-6490 (Electronic) 0027-8424 (Print) 0027-8424 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Pheromones exchanged by conspecifics are a major class of chemical signals that can alter behavior, physiology, and development. In particular, males and females communicate with potential mating partners via sex pheromones to promote reproductive success. Physiological and developmental mechanisms by which pheromones facilitate progeny production remain largely enigmatic. Here, we describe how a Caenorhabditis elegans male pheromone, ascr#10, improves the oogenic germline. Before most signs of aging become evident, C. elegans hermaphrodites start producing lower-quality gametes characterized by abnormal morphology, increased rates of chromosomal nondisjunction, and higher penetrance of deleterious alleles. We show that exposure to the male pheromone substantially ameliorates these defects and reduces embryonic lethality. ascr#10 stimulates proliferation of germline precursor cells in adult hermaphrodites. Coupled to the greater precursor supply is increased physiological germline cell death, which is required to improve oocyte quality in older mothers. The hermaphrodite germline is sensitive to the pheromone only during a time window, comparable in duration to a larval stage, in early adulthood. During this period, prereproductive adults assess the suitability of the environment for reproduction. Our results identify developmental events that occur in the oogenic germline in response to a male pheromone. They also suggest that the opposite effects of the pheromone on gamete quality and maternal longevity arise from competition over resource allocation between soma and the germline" |
| Keywords: | Animals *Caenorhabditis elegans/growth & development *Cellular Senescence/drug effects/physiology Female Male *Oocytes/drug effects/physiology *Oogenesis/drug effects/physiology *Sex Attractants/pharmacology/physiology C.elegans germline aging germline p; |
| Notes: | "MedlineAprison, Erin Z Dzitoyeva, Svetlana Angeles-Albores, David Ruvinsky, Ilya eng R01 GM126125/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom P41 HG002223/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/ U41 HG002223/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/ MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom U24 HG002223/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/ P40 OD010440/OD/NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2022/05/17 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 May 24; 119(21):e2015576119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2015576119. Epub 2022 May 16" |
