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  • Perspective
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Small-molecule pheromones and hormones controlling nematode development

Nature Chemical Biology volume 13, pages 577–586 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

The existence of small-molecule signals that influence development in Caenorhabditis elegans has been known for several decades, but only in recent years have the chemical structures of several of these signals been established. The identification of these signals has enabled connections to be made between these small molecules and fundamental signaling pathways in C. elegans that influence not only development but also metabolism, fertility, and lifespan. Spurred by these important discoveries and aided by recent advances in comparative metabolomics and NMR spectroscopy, the field of nematode chemistry has the potential to expand dramatically in the coming years. This Perspective will focus on small-molecule pheromones and hormones that influence developmental events in the nematode life cycle (ascarosides, dafachronic acids, and nemamides), will cover more recent work regarding the biosynthesis of these signals, and will explore how the discovery of these signals is transforming our understanding of nematode development and physiology.

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Figure 1: The dauer pheromone ascarosides and the modular structure of the ascaroside family of pheromones.
Figure 2: Role of insulin/IGF-1 and TGF-β pathways in controlling reproductive growth versus dauer development.
Figure 3: Comparison of the life cycles of several nematode species that produce ascarosides.
Figure 4: Role of the acyl-CoA oxidases ACOX-1.1, ACOX-1.2, and ACOX-1.3 in the biosynthesis of the ascarosides.
Figure 5: Structures of the C. elegans acyl-CoA oxidases ACOX-1.1 and ACOX-1.2.
Figure 6: Biosynthetic pathway of the dafachronic acids.
Figure 7: Discovery and biosynthesis of the nemamides.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the NIH (GM118775), NSF (Career Award, 1555050), Ellison Medical Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and Research Corporation for Science Advancement.

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    Rebecca A Butcher

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Butcher, R. Small-molecule pheromones and hormones controlling nematode development. Nat Chem Biol 13, 577–586 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.2356

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