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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Feb 19.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Metab. 2019 Aug 19;1(8):790–810. doi: 10.1038/s42255-019-0097-9

Figure 9. Application of exogenous PGE2 rescues cbs-1 expression and cold-induced longevity in GSC-impaired worms.

Figure 9

a, Representative images of GFP expressed under control of the cbs-1 promoter in day 8 adult-worms at 15°C. Application of exogenous PGE2 rescues low expression of cbs-1 caused by FUdR treatment (100 μg ml-1). PGE2 was added from day 5 of adulthood. DIC, differential interference contrast. Scale bar represents 200 μm. Images are representative of three independent experiments. b, Quantification of cbs-1p::GFP expression in day 8-adult animals at 15°C. Graph represents the mean ± s.e.m. relative to non-treated worms (Non-treated, PGE2, FUdR (n=50), FUdR + PGE2 (n=65), worms were analyzed per each condition from three independent experiments). Statistical comparisons were made by Student’s t-test for unpaired samples. P-value: ****(P<0.0001), NS (not significant): Non-treated versus FUdR+40 μM PGE2 (P=0.2436), Non-treated vs FUdR+160 μM PGE2 (P=0.8706). c, FUdR treatment reduces lifespan of wild-type worms at cold temperature (Non-treated versus FUdR, P<0.0001), a phenotype rescued by application of exogenous PGE2 (PGE2 + FUdR versus FUdR, P<0.0001). Non-treated mean ± s.e.m: 29.30 ± 0.69; PGE2: 30.39 ± 0.70, FUdR: 22.98 ± 0.63, FUdR + PGE2: 28.38 ± 0.64. P-values: two-sided log-rank test, n= 96 worms/condition. See Supplementary Data 3 for statistical analysis and replicate data of lifespan experiments. d, Model of cell-non-autonomous communication between somatic tissues and germ line at cold temperature. Somatic tissues such as IL1 and AFD neurons detect low temperature and ameliorate adult GSC exhaustion, which in turns delays reproductive aging. Adult GSCs release PGE2 hormone to induce cbs-1 expression in the intestine, resulting in higher somatic production of pro-longevity H2S gas. The rewiring of somatic tissues by GSCs extends organismal lifespan. This process coordinates extended reproductive capacity with long lifespan at cold temperature.