Morimoto - C. elegans image (IMAGE) Northwestern University Caption Short: A Northwestern University study of the roundworm C. elegans found the health of the fertilized embryo determines the functional health of the mother. Long: Progeny quality regulates proteostasis and stress resilience in reproductive mothers with implications for cellular and organismal health. This previously undescribed mode of trans-generational regulation occurs when embryo integrity compromised in CBD-1 mutant animals triggers a protective response in the parent that prevents the decline of the heat shock response and thereby improves organism-wide somatic proteostasis. Shown here is a fluorescent micrograph of gravid adult C. elegans in which the endogenous cbd-1 gene has been tagged with enhanced green fluorescent protein. The resulting fusion protein (blue) is expressed only in maturing oocytes, where it is incorporated into the extracellular vitelline layer on the eggshell surface of fertilized embryos. Credit Northwestern University Usage Restrictions Credit must be given. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.