C. elegans mated vs unmated germline

The reproductive system regulates the aging of the soma through competing anti- and pro- aging signals. While most studies of the germline's influence on lifespan have compared germlineless to intact, unmated animals, less is known about the influence of the hyperactive germline on longevity. In C. elegans, mating significantly accelerates germline proliferation and ultimately leads to somatic collapse, shrinking, and early death, suggesting that the germline pro-aging signal is significantly amplified by mating. To identify the germline pro-aging signal that induces post-mating physiological changes and early death, distal germlines were dissected from mated and unmated hermaphrodites, and total RNA were extracted for both mRNA and small RNA sequencing.