" TGF-beta and sensory regulation of germline development in C. elegans".

描述（由申请人提供）：干细胞和祖细胞群的增殖和分化平衡必须满足生物体的需要。然而，介导这种平衡的分子机制知之甚少。对于生殖细胞，这种相关性是特别重要的，因为不能产生足够的生殖细胞祖细胞对生殖细胞是有害的。 生育我们最近发现，环境可以影响生殖细胞的发育，通过感觉方式，通过神经元的行为。我们发现TGF？信号传导影响C.在一个关键的 当它扩大它的干细胞库的时候。我们发现TGF-β 7/TGF？对特定的感觉线索作出反应，并通过两个特定的神经元对生殖细胞产生影响，这些神经元报告环境的可接受性。我们还发现，TGF？受体途径作用于生殖系干细胞龛，而不是生殖系。转化生长因子因此，通过干细胞小生境的作用，信号传导将生育力与环境质量相结合。在这项建议中，我们解决的TGF？在应对环境，和机制下游的TGF？最终将信息传递给生殖细胞的受体。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The balance of proliferation and differentiation in stem and progenitor cell populations must meet organismal needs. However, molecular mechanisms that mediate this balance are poorly understood. For germ cells, this correlation is particularly vital since the failure to produce sufficient germ cell progenitors is deleterious for fertility. We recently discovered that the environment can influence on germ cell development via sensory modalities that act through neurons. We found that TGF? signaling influences the stem cell "proliferation versus differentiation" decision in the C. elegans germ line at a critical time when it is expanding its stem cell pool. We found that DAF- 7/TGF? exerts its effects on the germ line in response to specific sensory cues and through two specific neurons that report the favorability of the environment. We also found that the TGF? receptor pathway acts in the germline stem cell niche, not the germ line. TGF? signaling thereby couples fertility to the quality of the environment by acting through the stem cell niche. In this proposal we address the regulation of the TGF? in response to the environment, and mechanisms downstream of the TGF? receptor that ultimately transmit information to the germ line.