Mind the gut: Dietary impact on germline stem cells and fertility

Abstract

Animals thrive in environments where food resources are abundant. While this correlation between population growth and food abundance is well established, much less is known about the influence of diet quality on physiological and developmental programs that support animal reproduction. Here we discuss dietary impact on fertility, and highlight a recent report on the activity of a nuclear receptor that protects against dietary metabolites to maintain germline stem cell integrity and reproduction. © 2013 Landes Bioscience.