Reproduction and Lifespan are intertwined

An organ-shaping gene has been found in the microscopic worm Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans for short. The gene and the protein it makes are responsible for shaping the gonad, a complex reproductive organ. Similar genes and proteins are probably at work in other animals, including humans. The new finding by University of Wisconsin-Madison biochemist Judith Kimble and graduate student Robert Blelloch advances the prospect of one day growing complete organs for transplant.
Photo courtesy of Judith Kimble; news.wisc.edu

The gonad is well known for being helpful with reproduction but at the same time it has cut animals life spans down. Planck just recently discovered though that there is a molecular switch that can extend an animal’s life span using components of a developmental clock (Reproduction and Life Span Are Intertwined). The commonly used organism for research is called Caenorhabditis elegans. The Caenorhabditis elegans develops throughout four stages based on the developmental clock. “Yidong Shen and others worked with the Caenorhabditis elegans and used lasers to remove the germ cells, they found that remaining cells trigger the production of a hormone called Dafachronic acid (Reproduction and Life Span Are Intertwined).”

Dafachronic acid activates microRNAs, which work as little molecular switches causing changes in gene expression that promote longer life span. Losing the germ cells causes the developmental clocks to be put in motion leading to a longer life. I found this article intriguing because I never realized that research like this was going on, and that we have to ability to do such a research. It makes me want to continue looking up articles based on the theme of each lab to keep educating myself.

Blog Post Author: Paige Brandsdorfer Section 124-26

Works Cited

"Reproduction And Life Span Are Intertwined - ScienceNewsline." Reproduction And Life Span Are Intertwined - ScienceNewsline. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2013.

"Reproduction and Life Span Are Intertwined." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2013.