Genetic and Molecular Analysis of the Reproductive System's Effect on Aging in Caenorhabditis Elegans

We further examined the role of one gene from the screen, kri-1 , which encodes an intestinal protein with ankyrin repeats. We discovered that kri-1, as well as the lipophilic hormone signaling genes daf-12 and daf-9, are required for DAF-16 intestinal nuclear localization in germline-deficient animals. This indicates that the germline utilizes lipophilic hormone signaling to communicate with the intestine, where kri-1 likely mediates the response. Importantly, these genes have minor or allele-specific effects on daf-2 longevity, and only minor effects on DAF-16 nuclear localization in daf-2 animals, suggesting that these genes may act in parallel to the DAF-2 pathway. We also find that unlike kri-1 and daf-9, daf-12 has functions in addition to promoting DAF-16 nuclear localization when germ cells are removed.