Journal Article

DZNE-2026-00150

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png BCL-11 enables adaptive stress responses to environmental challenges.

Niedworok, P. (First author)DZNE* ; Ciliberti, R. E.DZNE* ; Xie, B.DZNE* ; Mathew, A. J.DZNE* ; Jussila, B. ; Lawson, J. A. ; De Domenico, E.DZNE* ; Paulusch, S.DZNE* ; Beyer, M.DZNE* ; Nicotera, P.DZNE* ; Aziz, N. A.DZNE* ; Ehninger, D.DZNE* ; Blaess, S. ; Bano, D. (Last author)DZNE*

2026
Elsevier St. Louis

This record in other databases:    

Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1016/j.isci.2025.114422

Abstract: Insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) is a master regulator of metabolism, stress resilience, and cell homeostasis in multicellular organisms. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, DAF-2 regulates dauer diapause, animal growth, and lifespan extension in a DAF-16/FOXO-dependent manner. Here we investigated IIS in animals expressing pathogenic variants of BCL-11, an evolutionarily conserved transcription factor that has been implicated in human neurodevelopmental disorders. We found that hypomorphic bcl-11 mutations have a limited impact on C. elegans growth and survival under standard growth conditions. On the contrary, BCL-11 deficiency compromises the cytoprotective properties of daf-2 signaling upon animal exposure to stress. During embryonic development, daf-16 loss of function rescues egg hatching defects in daf-2;bcl-11 mutants, suggesting a transcriptional interplay between BCL-11 and DAF-16 in IIS-deficient animals. Together, our data suggest that BCL-11 actively regulates transcription during development, while in adult animals it is recruited in response to environmental insults to enhance stress resilience.

Keyword(s): biological sciences ; cell biology ; health sciences ; molecular biology

---

Contributing Institute(s):

1. Aging and Neurodegeneration (AG Bano)
2. Clinical Single Cell Omics (CSCO) / Systems Medicine (AG Schultze)
3. Immunogenomics and Neurodegeneration (AG Beyer)
4. Population & Clinical Neuroepidemiology (AG Aziz)
5. Translational Biogerontology (AG Ehninger)
6. Platform for Single Cell Genomics and Epigenomics (PRECISE)

Research Program(s):

1. 351 - Brain Function (POF4-351) (POF4-351)
2. 354 - Disease Prevention and Healthy Aging (POF4-354) (POF4-354)
3. 352 - Disease Mechanisms (POF4-352) (POF4-352)

Experiment(s):

1. Platform for Single Cell Genomics and Epigenomics at DZNE University of Bonn

---

Database coverage:
; ; Article Processing Charges ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; DOAJ Seal ; Essential Science Indicators ; Fees ; IF >= 5 ; JCR ; PubMed Central ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

---