School of Neuroscience Innovators Seminar Series 

Dr. Jennifer Garrison, Assistant Professor, Buck Institute Novato California

  • Wednesday, March 4, 2020 
  • 11:00 am – 12:00pm
  • Fralin Auditorium

Neuronal signaling has a critical influence on an organism’s survival. As an animal ages it exhibits correlated, recognizable and predictable changes to its physiology. Neuropeptide signaling between the brain and peripheral tissues is one mechanism by which these concerted changes may occur during aging. Oxytocin is a mammalian neuropeptide that plays an essential role in reproduction, energy homeostasis, and social behavior but its effects on lifespan and healthspan are not known. We previously described an evolutionarily conserved, oxytocin-like signaling system in C. elegans which consists of a single peptide (nematocin) and two receptors. Nematocin regulates mating and reproduction in worms, as oxytocin does in humans. Here, we show that nematocin signaling influences multiple aging phenotypes in C. elegans in a sexually dimorphic fashion. These experiments represent the first comprehensive studies of the role of oxytocin signaling during aging, and provide a path forward for translational studies in mammals.

For more information, contact: Ian Levine