C. elegans feed yolk to their young in a form of primitive lactation

Carina C. Kern; StJohn Townsend; Antoine Salzmann; Nigel B. Rendell; Graham W. Taylor; Ruxandra M. Comisel; Lazaros C. Foukas; Jürg Bähler; David Gems

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-25821-y

Nature Communications (Oct 2021)

C. elegans feed yolk to their young in a form of primitive lactation

Carina C. Kern,
StJohn Townsend,
Antoine Salzmann,
Nigel B. Rendell,
Graham W. Taylor,
Ruxandra M. Comisel,
Lazaros C. Foukas,
Jürg Bähler,
David Gems

Affiliations

Carina C. Kern: Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London
StJohn Townsend: Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London
Antoine Salzmann: Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London
Nigel B. Rendell: Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins, Division of Medicine, University College London
Graham W. Taylor: Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins, Division of Medicine, University College London
Ruxandra M. Comisel: Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London
Lazaros C. Foukas: Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London
Jürg Bähler: Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London
David Gems: Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25821-y
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

Read online

It is unclear why C. elegans continues to produce large quantities of yolk after reproduction. Here the authors show that post-reproductive C. elegans mothers vent yolk which supports their offspring’s growth, serving as a form of primitive lactation.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

About the journal