DGenFIG 1: Parallel genetic pathways regulate dauer commitment in response to environmental signals.

DGenFIG 1: Parallel genetic pathways regulate dauer commitment in response to environmental signals.

A. The DAF-7/TGF-ß and DAF-2/insulin-like pathways are active when environmental conditions are suitable for reproductive development, with plentiful food and low population density (upper panel).
B.
Harsh environmental conditions, such as scarce food and high levels of dauer pheromone ascarosides, inhibit signaling through these pathways and cause dauer arrest (lower panel).
(For a more detailed description of the genetic pathways regulating dauer commitment, see Hu, 2007 and Fielenback and Antebi, 2008.)

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