Genome-wide temporal gene expression reveals a post-reproductive shift in the nematode <i>C. briggsae</i>
Bibliographic record
Abstract
ABSTRACT C. briggsae offers a robust system for comparative investigations of genetic pathways that affect physiological processes. One key process, reproduction, significantly impacts longevity due to its high energetic cost, which limits resources for somatic maintenance. Long-lived mutants often exhibit reproductive impairments, and studies in C. elegans have demonstrated that germline mutations and complete germline removal can promote longevity, underscoring the link between reproduction and aging. We are interested in identifying genes and biological processes affected during the reproductive and post-reproductive periods in C. briggsae . To achieve this, we conducted whole-genome transcriptome profiling on animals at various adult stages. analysis of differentially expressed (DE) genes revealed that the majority were downregulated during the reproductive period. Interestingly, this trend reversed post-reproduction, with three-quarters of the genes upregulated—a phenomenon we termed the ‘reproductive shift’. A similar analysis in C. elegans also showed a downregulation bias during the reproductive period, but the reproductive shift was absent. Further examination of C. briggsae DE genes showed enrichment in processes related to the matrisome, muscle development and function during the reproductive period. Post-reproductive downregulated genes were enriched in DNA damage repair, stress response, and immune response. Additionally, terms related to fatty acid metabolism, catabolism, and transcriptional regulation exhibited complex patterns, with different biological processes being up or downregulated between the reproductive and post-reproductive stages. Overall, our transcriptomic data provides a valuable resource for cross-sectional comparative studies of reproductive and post-reproductive changes in nematodes. Additionally, the findings prompt similar studies in other animal models thereby advancing our understanding of genetic pathways affecting reproduction and aging.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Open science | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Research integrity | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.001 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".