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Naturwissenschaften

Title:		Is dauer pheromone of Caenorhabditis elegans really a pheromone?
Author(s):		Viney ME; Franks NR;
Address:		"School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. Mark.Viney@bristol.ac.uk"
Journal Title:		Naturwissenschaften
Year:		2004
Volume:		20040228
Issue:		3
Page Number:		123 - 124
DOI:		10.1007/s00114-004-0503-2
ISSN/ISBN:		0028-1042 (Print) 0028-1042 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Animals respond to signals and cues in their environment. The difference between a signal (e.g. a pheromone) and a cue (e.g. a waste product) is that the information content of a signal is subject to natural selection, whereas that of a cue is not. The model free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans forms an alternative developmental morph (the dauer larva) in response to a so-called 'dauer pheromone', produced by all worms. We suggest that the production of 'dauer pheromone' has no fitness advantage for an individual worm and therefore we propose that 'dauer pheromone' is not a signal, but a cue. Thus, it should not be called a pheromone"
Keywords:		Animals Caenorhabditis elegans/growth & development/*physiology Larva Pheromones/*physiology Signal Transduction;
Notes:		"MedlineViney, M E Franks, N R eng Germany 2004/03/23 Naturwissenschaften. 2004 Mar; 91(3):123-4. doi: 10.1007/s00114-004-0503-2. Epub 2004 Feb 28"