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Dauer (German for "endurance", "duration" or "permanent") describes an alternative developmental stage of nematode worms, particularly ''Caenorhabditis elegans'', whereby the larva goes into a type of stasis and can survive harsh conditions. Since the decision to enter the dauer stage is dependent on environmental cues, it represents a classic and well studied example of polyphenism The Dauer state is given other names in the various types of nematodes such as ‘diapause’, ‘hypobiosis’, or ‘spring rise’, but since the ''C. elegans'' nematode has become the most studied nematode, the term ‘dauer stage’ or 'dauer larvae' is becoming universally recognised when referring to this state in other free-living nematodes. The dauer stage is also considered to be equivalent to the infective stage of parasitic nematode larvae. Under environmental conditions that are favorable for reproduction, ''C. elegans'' larvae develop through four stages or molts which are designated as ''L1'', ''L2'', ''L3'' and ''L4''. After L4, animals moult to the reproductive adult stage. However, when the environment is unfavorable, L1 and L2 animals have the option to divert their development from reproduction to dauer formation. Signals such as temperature, food supply, and levels of a dauer-inducing pheromone, a population density cue, influence this dauer decision. Dauer larvae are thus considered an alternative L3 stage larva, and this stage is sometimes referred to as L2d. L2d animals are also considered pre-dauer and are characterised by delayed development and dark intestines produced by storage of fat. Dauer larvae are extensively studied by biologists because of their ability to survive harsh environments and live for extended periods of time. For example, ''C. elegans'' dauer larvae can survive up to four months, much longer than their average lifespan of about three weeks during normal reproductive development. Two genes that are essential for dauer formation are ''daf-2'' and ''daf-23''. Dauer formation in ''C. elegans'' requires a nuclear receptor DAF-12 and a forkhead transcription factor ''daf-16''. In favorable environments, DAF-12 is activated by a steroid hormone, called Dafachronic Acid, produced by the cytochrome p450, DAF-9. DAF-9 and DAF-12 have been implicated by Cynthia Kenyon and colleagues as being required for extended longevity seen in animals that lack germlines. Kenyon showed that, although the ''daf-16'' gene is required for life extension in ''C. elegans'', the life extension effect can be uncoupled from dauer growth arrest. The lifespan increase was shown to be associated with an increase in stress resistance. A characteristic of the dauer stage is the pronounced alae which may be implicated in the entering (L1) and exiting (pre adult or L4 in ''C. elegans'') of the dauer stage. == See also == * Genetics of aging * Polyphenism 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dauer larva」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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