Targets of DAF-16 involved in Caenorhabditis elegans adult longevity and dauer formation.

The Forkhead Box O transcription factor DAF-16 regulates genes affecting dauer larva formation and adult life span. Expression profiling and genome-wide searches for DAF-16 binding sites in gene regulatory regions have identified thousands of potential DAF-16 targets. Some of these genes have been shown to alter longevity when their expression is attenuated by RNAi treatment. DAF-16 also associates with other transcription factors, allowing combinatorial modulation of gene expression. Although extensive descriptions of the gene network regulated by DAF-16 have been attempted, there remain many gaps in the understanding of how DAF-16 regulates dauer formation and longevity.