Preprint: gut gap-junction gene inx-20 extends reproductive lifespan in C. elegans without major effect on overall longevity

A preprint deposited on bioRxiv by researchers studying ageing in Caenorhabditis elegans reports that mutation of inx-20, which encodes a gap-junction component of the innexin family expressed in the alimentary (digestive) tract, markedly extends reproductive span in the worm while producing only a minor increase in total lifespan. The finding suggests that reproductive ageing and somatic ageing can be dissociated at the molecular level, and that intercellular communication through gap junctions in the gut plays a role in setting the timeline of germline function.

The effect was reported to persist in feminised genetic backgrounds, strengthening the inference that it operates through the germline rather than via sex-specific somatic pathways. The authors frame the result within the broader observation that reproductive senescence follows a species-specific trajectory distinct from overall organismal ageing.

C. elegans is a well-established genetic model organism for ageing research; findings in the worm have historically informed understanding of conserved longevity pathways including insulin/IGF signalling and dietary restriction. Whether innexin-mediated gut signalling has functional analogues in mammalian reproductive ageing is not addressed in the preprint and would require further investigation.

This work has not yet been peer-reviewed.