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Germline Stem Cells and Their Roles in the Regulation of Organism Longevity

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Stem Cell Aging: Mechanisms, Consequences, Rejuvenation

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Abstract

Aging is a genetically regulated process that happens in all organisms. Lifespan extension can be achieved through several mechanisms, including regulatory signaling from germline stem cells, which will be the focus of this chapter. The free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become the standard workhorse for aging studies due to its fast life cycle, short lifespan, and powerful functional genomics. In this chapter, we will first introduce germline organization and germline stem cell maintenance in C. elegans. Next, we will review the knowledge achieved by C. elegans research on how gonadal signaling pathways regulate organism longevity. Lastly, the current model of lipid metabolic reprogramming as the link between germline and longevity will be discussed as well.

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Acknowledgment

We would like to acknowledge all the scientists in the C. elegans research community for their contributions to the field of reproductive system-regulated aging. We also thank Cheng-lin Li and Timothy R. Mahoney for helpful comments and valuable advice on the manuscript. The work in the authors’ laboratory is supported by the National Institutes of Health grant RO0 AG034988 and RO1 AG045183 and the Ellison Medical Foundation grant AG-NS-0756-11.

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  1. Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Chih-chun Janet Lin & Meng Carla Wang

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  1. Chih-chun Janet Lin
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  2. Meng Carla Wang
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Correspondence to Meng Carla Wang .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatology and Allergic Diseases, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany

    Hartmut Geiger

  2. Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA

    Heinrich Jasper

  3. Dermatology and Allergic Diseases, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany

    Maria Carolina Florian

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Lin, Cc.J., Wang, M.C. (2015). Germline Stem Cells and Their Roles in the Regulation of Organism Longevity. In: Geiger, H., Jasper, H., Florian, M. (eds) Stem Cell Aging: Mechanisms, Consequences, Rejuvenation. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1232-8_3

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