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Physiological Control of Germline Development

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Germ Cell Development in C. elegans

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 757))

Abstract

The intersection between developmental programs and environmental conditions that alter physiology is a growing area of research interest. The C. elegans germ line is emerging as a particularly sensitive and powerful model for these studies. The germ line is subject to environmentally regulated diapause points that allow worms to withstand harsh conditions both prior to and after reproduction commences. It also responds to more subtle changes in physiological conditions. Recent studies demonstrate that different aspects of germ line development are sensitive to environmental and physiological changes and that conserved signaling pathways such as the AMPK, Insulin/IGF, TGFβ, and TOR-S6K, and nuclear hormone receptor pathways mediate this sensitivity. Some of these pathways genetically interact with but appear distinct from previously characterized mechanisms of germline cell fate control such as Notch signaling. Here, we review several aspects of hermaphrodite germline development in the context of “feasting,” “food-limited,” and “fasting” conditions. We also consider connections between lifespan, metabolism and the germ line, and we comment on special considerations for examining germline development under altered environmental and physiological conditions. Finally, we summarize the major outstanding questions in the field.

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Acknowledgments

We especially thank Tim Schedl for discussions that catalyzed many of the ideas presented here. In addition we thank Barth Grant, Jennifer Watts, Kerry Kornfeld, Marie-Anne Félix, and David Greenstein for comments on the manuscript. We also thank members of the Hubbard lab for discussion, and National Institutes of Health grants R01GM061706, R03HD066005, T32GM07308, F30DK089697 for support.

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  1. Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Pathology, and Kimmel Center for Stem Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    E. Jane Albert Hubbard, Dorota Z. Korta & Diana Dalfó

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  1. E. Jane Albert Hubbard
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  2. Dorota Z. Korta
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  3. Diana Dalfó
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Correspondence to E. Jane Albert Hubbard .

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  1. , Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, 4566 Scott Avenue, St. Louis, 63130, Missouri, USA

    Tim Schedl

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Hubbard, E.J.A., Korta, D.Z., Dalfó, D. (2013). Physiological Control of Germline Development. In: Schedl, T. (eds) Germ Cell Development in C. elegans. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 757. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4015-4_5

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