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Free keywords:
Acclimatization/*physiology
Animals
Caenorhabditis elegans/*growth & development
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/biosynthesis/chemistry/*metabolism
Gonadal Steroid Hormones/*metabolism
Life Cycle Stages/*physiology
Longevity/*physiology
Models, Biological
Molecular Structure
Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/biosynthesis/chemistry/*metabolism
Signal Transduction/*physiology
Species Specificity
Time Factors
Abstract:
Hormones play a critical role in driving major stage transitions and developmental timing events in many species. In the nematode C. elegans the steroid hormone receptor, DAF-12, works at the confluence of pathways regulating developmental timing, stage specification, and longevity. DAF-12 couples environmental and physiologic signals to life history regulation, and it is embedded in a rich architecture governing diverse processes. Here, we highlight the molecular insights, extraordinary circuitry, and signaling pathways governing life stage transitions in the worm and how they have yielded fundamental insights into steroid regulation of biological time.
