A Caenorhabditis elegans insulin-like peptide, INS-17: its physiological function and expression pattern.

The insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling pathway of Caenorhabditis elegans regulates larval diapause and adult lifespan through the sole insulin receptor-like protein, DAF-2. In the present study, the physiological function and expression pattern of INS-17, one of the C. elegans insulin-like peptides, were examined by disruption and overexpression of the gene, and by the use of a reporter gene. INS-17 might function as a DAF-2 antagonist in the regulation of larval diapause, but not of the adult lifespan. The reporter protein was intensively expressed during larval diapause. It showed a drastic decrease in amount after larval diapause, which matches well the physiological function of INS-17.