Nature Communications, 2024 · DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49318-6 · Published: June 14, 2024
Stem cell loss is a key factor in aging. This study identifies how a specific gene, dos-3, helps maintain germline stem cells in C. elegans worms as they age. The gene dos-3 is controlled by another gene, DAF-16/FOXO, and it produces a signal that activates Notch signaling, a pathway important for stem cell maintenance. This signaling occurs between different cells within the worm's reproductive system, highlighting a new way stem cell aging is regulated at the organ system level.
The study elucidates a mechanism by which regulation of stem cell aging is achieved at the organ system level, suggesting similar mechanisms may operate in other stem cell paradigms.
The findings imply a function of Notch signaling in stem cell aging, as the secreted signal that mediates the effect of reducing IIS on GSPC maintenance is a soluble Notch ligand.
The study highlights the utility of C. elegans as a tool for dissecting the intricate regulation of Notch signaling and understanding the complexity of Notch ligands.