Uridine 5'-monophosphate (UMP) synthesis connects nucleotide metabolism to programmed cell death in C. elegans.

ABSTRACT: Nucleotide metabolism is essential for fundamental cellular functions such as growth, repair and proliferation. Emerging evidence suggests that metabolic pathways also influence programmed cell death (PCD), though the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. One model organism that has provided key insights into the regulation of PCD is Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). In this nematode, apoptosis is often initiated through asymmetric cell division (ACD), a process that unequally distributes fate determinants between daughter cells to produce a larger surviving cell and a smaller cell destined for apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that the simultaneous disruption of PCD and ACD leads to aberrant cell survival and the formation of extra hypodermal cells. Through a genetic screen in

SUBMITTER: Jiang HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12811246 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature