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Rooney J, Rivera-de-Torre E, Li R, Mclean K, Price DR, Nisbet AJ, Laustsen AH, Jenkins TP, Hofmann A, Bakshi S, Zarkan A, Cantacessi C. Structural and functional analyses of nematode-derived antimicrobial peptides support the occurrence of direct mechanisms of worm-microbiota interactions. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:1522-1533. [PMID: 38633385 PMCID: PMC11021794 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The complex relationships between gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes and the host gut microbiota have been implicated in key aspects of helminth disease and infection outcomes. Nevertheless, the direct and indirect mechanisms governing these interactions are, thus far, largely unknown. In this proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate that the excretory-secretory products (ESPs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) of key GI nematodes contain peptides that, when recombinantly expressed, exert antimicrobial activity in vitro against Bacillus subtilis. In particular, using time-lapse microfluidics microscopy, we demonstrate that exposure of B. subtilis to a recombinant saposin-domain containing peptide from the 'brown stomach worm', Teladorsagia circumcincta, and a metridin-like ShK toxin from the 'barber's pole worm', Haemonchus contortus, results in cell lysis and significantly reduced growth rates. Data from this study support the hypothesis that GI nematodes may modulate the composition of the vertebrate gut microbiota directly via the secretion of antimicrobial peptides, and pave the way for future investigations aimed at deciphering the impact of such changes on the pathophysiology of GI helminth infection and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Rooney
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ruizhe Li
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Mclean
- Moredun Research Institute, Penicuik Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Andreas H. Laustsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Timothy P. Jenkins
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Andreas Hofmann
- Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Kulmbach, Germany
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Somenath Bakshi
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ashraf Zarkan
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Cinzia Cantacessi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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2
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Berndt H, Fuchs S, Kraus-Stojanowic I, Pees B, Gelhaus C, Leippe M. Molecular and functional characterization of ILYS-5, a major invertebrate lysozyme of Caenorhabditis elegans. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 159:105220. [PMID: 38925432 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2024.105220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
To overcome bacterial invasion and infection, animals have evolved various antimicrobial effectors such as antimicrobial peptides and lysozymes. Although C. elegans is exposed to a variety of microbes due to its bacterivorous lifestyle, previous work on the components of its immune system mainly based on the description of transcriptional changes during bacterial challenges. Very few effector components of its immune system have been characterized so far. To investigate the role of lysozymes in terms of antibacterial defense and digestion, we studied a member of the widely neglected family of C. elegans invertebrate lysozymes (ILYS). We focused on the so far virtually undescribed ILYS-5, which we purified from protein extracts of C. elegans tracing its peptidoglycan-degrading activity and localized the tissue expression of the gene in vivo using a translational reporter construct. We recombinantly synthesized ILYS-5 and determined the physicochemical activity optimum and the antibacterial spectrum of a lysozyme from C. elegans for the first time. With an activity optimum at low ionic strength (≤100 mM) and at acidic pH (≤ pH 4.0), ILYS-5 is likely to be involved in killing and digestion of bacteria within acidified phagolysosomes and acidic regions of the gut, presumably secreted by lysosome-like vesicles. This notion is supported by potent activity against various live Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Notably, members of the natural associated microbiome of C. elegans are substantially less susceptible to ILYS-5. Ablation of the ilys-5 gene resulted in reduction of lifespan and fertility when cultured on the standard food bacterium Escherichia coli OP50, whereas exposure of the ilys-5 knock-out mutant to the host-associated bacterium Pseudomonas lurida MYb11 did not have a clear effect. These findings indicate a role of ILYS-5 in immunity and nutrition and a co-evolved adaptation of host and bacteria to the mutualistic nature of their interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Berndt
- Comparative Immunobiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Silja Fuchs
- Comparative Immunobiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Barbara Pees
- Comparative Immunobiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christoph Gelhaus
- Comparative Immunobiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthias Leippe
- Comparative Immunobiology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
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3
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Lei M, Tan Y, Ke J, Wang M, He Z, Ou G, Tu H, Tan W. Loss of cilia in chemosensory neurons inhibits pathogen avoidance in Caenorhabditis elegans. Microbes Infect 2024:105370. [PMID: 38843949 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2024.105370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Pathogen avoidance is a crucial and evolutionarily conserved behavior that enhances survival by preventing infection in diverse species, including Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). This behavior relies on multiple chemosensory neurons equipped with cilia that are exposed to the external environment. However, the specific role of neuronal cilia in pathogen avoidance has not been completely elucidated. Herein, we discovered that osm-3(p802) mutants, which lack chemosensory neuronal cilia, exhibit slower avoidance of the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14, but not Escherichia coli OP50. This observation was consistent when osm-3(p802) mutants were exposed to P. aeruginosa PAO1. Following an encounter with PA14, the pumping, thrashing, and defecation behaviors of osm-3 mutants were comparable to those of the wild-type. However, the osm-3 mutants demonstrated reduced intestinal colonization of PA14, suggesting that they have stronger intestinal clearance ability. We conducted RNA-seq to identify genes responding to external stimuli that were differentially expressed owing to the loss of osm-3 and PA14 infection. Using RNAi, we demonstrated that three of these genes were essential for normal pathogen avoidance. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that the loss of chemosensory neuronal cilia reduces pathogen avoidance in C. elegans while delaying intestinal colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Lei
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China; State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yanheng Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jingyi Ke
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zeyang He
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Guangshuo Ou
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Haijun Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Weihong Tan
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China; State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China; The Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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4
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Lee DJ, Eor JY, Kwak MJ, Lee J, Kang AN, Mun D, Choi H, Song M, Kim JN, Kim JM, Yang J, Kim HW, Oh S, Kim Y. Metabolic Regulation of Longevity and Immune Response in Caenorhabditis elegans by Ingestion of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus IDCC 3201 Using Multi-Omics Analysis. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 34:1109-1118. [PMID: 38563104 PMCID: PMC11180920 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2402.02025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Probiotics, specifically Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, have garnered attention for their potential health benefits. This study focuses on evaluating the probiotic properties of candidate probiotics L. rhamnosus IDCC 3201 (3201) using the Caenorhabditis elegans surrogate animal model, a well-established in vivo system for studying host-bacteria interactions. The adhesive ability to the host's gastrointestinal tract is a crucial criterion for selecting potential probiotic bacteria. Our findings demonstrated that 3201 exhibits significantly higher adhesive capabilities compared with Escherichia coli OP50 (OP50), a standard laboratory food source for C. elegans and is comparable with the widely recognized probiotic L. rhamnosus GG (LGG). In lifespan assay, 3201 significantly increased the longevity of C. elegans compared with OP50. In addition, preconditioning with 3201 enhanced C. elegans immune response against four different foodborne pathogenic bacteria. To uncover the molecular basis of these effects, transcriptome analysis elucidated that 3201 modulates specific gene expression related to the innate immune response in C. elegans. C-type lectin-related genes and lysozyme-related genes, crucial components of the immune system, showed significant upregulation after feeding 3201 compared with OP50. These results suggested that preconditioning with 3201 may enhance the immune response against pathogens. Metabolome analysis revealed increased levels of fumaric acid and succinic acid, metabolites of the citric acid cycle, in C. elegans fed with 3201 compared with OP50. Furthermore, there was an increase in the levels of lactic acid, a well-known antimicrobial compound. This rise in lactic acid levels may have contributed to the robust defense mechanisms against pathogens. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the probiotic properties of the candidate probiotic L. rhamnosus IDCC 3201 by using multi-omics analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Junpyo Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Rrepublic of Korea
| | - Ju Young Eor
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Rrepublic of Korea
| | - Min-Jin Kwak
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Rrepublic of Korea
| | - Junbeom Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Rrepublic of Korea
| | - An Na Kang
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Rrepublic of Korea
| | - Daye Mun
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Rrepublic of Korea
| | - Hyejin Choi
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Rrepublic of Korea
| | - Minho Song
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Nam Kim
- Department of Food Science & Nutrition, Dongseo University, Busan 47011, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Mo Kim
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungwoo Yang
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeongju 38066, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Wook Kim
- College of Life Sciences, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangnam Oh
- Department of Functional Food and Biotechnology, Jeonju University, Jeonju 55069, Republic of Korea
| | - Younghoon Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Rrepublic of Korea
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5
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Kywe C, Lundquist EA, Ackley BD, Lansdon P. The MAB-5/Hox family transcription factor is important for Caenorhabditis elegans innate immune response to Staphylococcus epidermidis infection. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkae054. [PMID: 38478633 PMCID: PMC11075571 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Innate immunity functions as a rapid defense against broad classes of pathogenic agents. While the mechanisms of innate immunity in response to antigen exposure are well-studied, how pathogen exposure activates the innate immune responses and the role of genetic variation in immune activity is currently being investigated. Previously, we showed significant survival differences between the N2 and the CB4856 Caenorhabditis elegans isolates in response to Staphylococcus epidermidis infection. One of those differences was expression of the mab-5 Hox family transcription factor, which was induced in N2, but not CB4856, after infection. In this study, we use survival assays and RNA-sequencing to better understand the role of mab-5 in response to S. epidermidis. We found that mab-5 loss-of-function (LOF) mutants were more susceptible to S. epidermidis infection than N2 or mab-5 gain-of-function (GOF) mutants, but not as susceptible as CB4856 animals. We then conducted transcriptome analysis of infected worms and found considerable differences in gene expression profiles when comparing animals with mab-5 LOF to either N2 or mab-5 GOF. N2 and mab-5 GOF animals showed a significant enrichment in expression of immune genes and C-type lectins, whereas mab-5 LOF mutants did not. Overall, gene expression profiling in mab-5 mutants provided insight into MAB-5 regulation of the transcriptomic response of C. elegans to pathogenic bacteria and helps us to understand mechanisms of innate immune activation and the role that transcriptional regulation plays in organismal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Kywe
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Erik A Lundquist
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Brian D Ackley
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Patrick Lansdon
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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6
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Pradhan J, Pradhan D, Sahu JK, Mishra S, Mallick S, Das S, Negi VD. A novel rspA gene regulates biofilm formation and virulence of Salmonella Typhimurium. Microb Pathog 2023; 185:106432. [PMID: 37926364 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Salmonella spp. are facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria and belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family. Although much has been known about Salmonella pathogenesis, the functional characterizations of certain genes are yet to be explored. The rspA (STM14_1818) is one such gene with putative dehydratase function, and its role in pathogenesis is unknown. The background information showed that rspA gene is upregulated in Salmonella when it resides inside macrophages, which led us to investigate its role in Salmonella pathogenesis. We generated the rspA knockout strain and complement strain in S. Typhimurium 14028. Ex-vivo and in-vivo infectivity was looked at macrophage and epithelial cell lines and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The mutant strain differentially formed the biofilm at different temperatures by altering the expression of genes involved in the synthesis of cellulose and curli. Besides, the mutant strain is hyperproliferative intracellularly and showed increased bacterial burden in C. elegans. The mutant strain became more infectious and lethal, causing faster death of the worms than the wild type, and also modulates the worm's innate immunity. Thus, we found that the rspA deletion mutant was more pathogenic. In this study, we concluded that the rspA gene differentially regulates the biofilm formation in a temperature dependent manner by modulating the genes involved in the synthesis of cellulose and curli and negatively regulates the Salmonella virulence for longer persistence inside the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Pradhan
- Laboratory of Infection Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, Odisha, India.
| | - Diana Pradhan
- Laboratory of Infection Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, Odisha, India.
| | - Jugal Kishor Sahu
- Laboratory of Infection Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, Odisha, India.
| | - Satyajit Mishra
- Laboratory of Infection Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, Odisha, India.
| | - Swarupa Mallick
- Laboratory of Infection Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, Odisha, India.
| | - Surajit Das
- Laboratory of Infection Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, Odisha, India.
| | - Vidya Devi Negi
- Laboratory of Infection Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, Odisha, India.
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7
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Yang RQ, Chen YH, Wu QY, Tang J, Niu SZ, Zhao Q, Ma YC, Zou CG. Indole produced during dysbiosis mediates host-microorganism chemical communication. eLife 2023; 12:e85362. [PMID: 37987602 PMCID: PMC10691800 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
An imbalance of the gut microbiota, termed dysbiosis, has a substantial impact on host physiology. However, the mechanism by which host deals with gut dysbiosis to maintain fitness remains largely unknown. In Caenorhabditis elegans, Escherichia coli, which is its bacterial diet, proliferates in its intestinal lumen during aging. Here, we demonstrate that progressive intestinal proliferation of E. coli activates the transcription factor DAF-16, which is required for maintenance of longevity and organismal fitness in worms with age. DAF-16 up-regulates two lysozymes lys-7 and lys-8, thus limiting the bacterial accumulation in the gut of worms during aging. During dysbiosis, the levels of indole produced by E. coli are increased in worms. Indole is involved in the activation of DAF-16 by TRPA-1 in neurons of worms. Our finding demonstrates that indole functions as a microbial signal of gut dysbiosis to promote fitness of the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Qiu Yang
- State key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Yong-Hong Chen
- State key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Qin-yi Wu
- Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Sinomedicine, Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese MedicineKunmingChina
| | - Jie Tang
- State key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan UniversityKunmingChina
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Vaccine Research Development on Severe Infectious Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingChina
| | - Shan-Zhuang Niu
- State key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Qiu Zhao
- State key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Yi-Cheng Ma
- State key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Cheng-Gang Zou
- State key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan UniversityKunmingChina
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8
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Drury F, Grover M, Hintze M, Saunders J, Fasseas MK, Constantinou C, Barkoulas M. A PAX6-regulated receptor tyrosine kinase pairs with a pseudokinase to activate immune defense upon oomycete recognition in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300587120. [PMID: 37725647 PMCID: PMC10523662 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300587120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Oomycetes were recently discovered as natural pathogens of Caenorhabditis elegans, and pathogen recognition alone was shown to be sufficient to activate a protective transcriptional program characterized by the expression of multiple chitinase-like (chil) genes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying oomycete recognition in animals remain fully unknown. We performed here a forward genetic screen to uncover regulators of chil gene induction and found several independent loss-of-function alleles of old-1 and flor-1, which encode receptor tyrosine kinases belonging to the C. elegans-specific KIN-16 family. We report that OLD-1 and FLOR-1 are both necessary for mounting the immune response and act in the epidermis. FLOR-1 is a pseudokinase that acts downstream of the active kinase OLD-1 and regulates OLD-1 levels at the plasma membrane. Interestingly, the old-1 locus is adjacent to the chil genes in the C. elegans genome, thereby revealing a genetic cluster important for oomycete resistance. Furthermore, we demonstrate that old-1 expression at the anterior side of the epidermis is regulated by the VAB-3/PAX6 transcription factor, well known for its role in visual system development in other animals. Taken together, our study reveals both conserved and species-specific factors shaping the activation and spatial characteristics of the immune response to oomycete recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Drury
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Manish Grover
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Hintze
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Saunders
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Michael K. Fasseas
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Charis Constantinou
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Michalis Barkoulas
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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9
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Zhuang XM, Guo ZY, Zhang M, Chen YH, Qi FN, Wang RQ, Zhang L, Zhao PJ, Lu CJ, Zou CG, Ma YC, Xu J, Zhang KQ, Cao YR, Liang LM. Ethanol mediates the interaction between Caenorhabditis elegans and the nematophagous fungus Purpureocillium lavendulum. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0127023. [PMID: 37560934 PMCID: PMC10580998 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01270-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurately recognizing pathogens by the host is vital for initiating appropriate immune response against infecting microorganisms. Caenorhabditis elegans has no known receptor to recognize pathogen-associated molecular pattern. However, recent studies showed that nematodes have a strong specificity for transcriptomes infected by different pathogens, indicating that they can identify different pathogenic microorganisms. However, the mechanism(s) for such specificity remains largely unknown. In this study, we showed that the nematophagous fungus Purpureocillium lavendulum can infect the intestinal tract of the nematode C. elegans and the infection led to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the infected intestinal tract, which suppressed fungal growth. Co-transcriptional analysis revealed that fungal genes related to anaerobic respiration and ethanol production were up-regulated during infection. Meanwhile, the ethanol dehydrogenase Sodh-1 in C. elegans was also up-regulated. Together, these results suggested that the infecting fungi encounter hypoxia stress in the nematode gut and that ethanol may play a role in the host-pathogen interaction. Ethanol production in vitro during fungal cultivation in hypoxia conditions was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Direct treatment of C. elegans with ethanol elevated the sodh-1 expression and ROS accumulation while repressing a series of immunity genes that were also repressed during fungal infection. Mutation of sodh-1 in C. elegans blocked ROS accumulation and increased the nematode's susceptibility to fungal infection. Our study revealed a new recognition and antifungal mechanism in C. elegans. The novel mechanism of ethanol-mediated interaction between the fungus and nematode provides new insights into fungal pathogenesis and for developing alternative biocontrol of pathogenic nematodes by nematophagous fungi. IMPORTANCE Nematodes are among the most abundant animals on our planet. Many of them are parasites in animals and plants and cause human and animal health problems as well as agricultural losses. Studying the interaction of nematodes and their microbial pathogens is of great importance for the biocontrol of animal and plant parasitic nematodes. In this study, we found that the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can recognize its fungal pathogen, the nematophagous fungus Purpureocillium lavendulum, through fungal-produced ethanol. Then the nematode elevated the reactive oxygen species production in the gut to inhibit fungal growth in an ethanol dehydrogenase-dependent manner. With this mechanism, novel biocontrol strategies may be developed targeting the ethanol receptor or metabolic pathway of nematodes. Meanwhile, as a volatile organic compound, ethanol should be taken seriously as a vector molecule in the microbial-host interaction in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Mei Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Zhi-Yi Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yong-Hong Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Feng-Na Qi
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ren-Qiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Pei-Ji Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Chao-Jun Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Cheng-Gang Zou
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yi-Cheng Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jianping Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yan-Ru Cao
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kunming University, Kunming, China
| | - Lian-Ming Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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Thies JL, Willicott K, Craig ML, Greene MR, DuGay CN, Caldwell GA, Caldwell KA. Xanthine Dehydrogenase Is a Modulator of Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration in Response to Bacterial Metabolite Exposure in C. elegans. Cells 2023; 12:cells12081170. [PMID: 37190079 DOI: 10.3390/cells12081170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress is a contributing factor to Parkinson's disease (PD). Considering the prevalence of sporadic PD, environmental exposures are postulated to increase reactive oxygen species and either incite or exacerbate neurodegeneration. We previously determined that exposure to the common soil bacterium, Streptomyces venezuelae (S. ven), enhanced oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in Caenorhabditis elegans, leading to dopaminergic (DA) neurodegeneration. Here, S. ven metabolite exposure in C. elegans was followed by RNA-Seq analysis. Half of the differentially identified genes (DEGs) were associated with the transcription factor DAF-16 (FOXO), which is a key node in regulating stress response. Our DEGs were enriched for Phase I (CYP) and Phase II (UGT) detoxification genes and non-CYP Phase I enzymes associated with oxidative metabolism, including the downregulated xanthine dehydrogenase gene, xdh-1. The XDH-1 enzyme exhibits reversible interconversion to xanthine oxidase (XO) in response to calcium. S. ven metabolite exposure enhanced XO activity in C. elegans. The chelation of calcium diminishes the conversion of XDH-1 to XO and results in neuroprotection from S. ven exposure, whereas CaCl2 supplementation enhanced neurodegeneration. These results suggest a defense mechanism that delimits the pool of XDH-1 available for interconversion to XO, and associated ROS production, in response to metabolite exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Thies
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Karolina Willicott
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Maici L Craig
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Madeline R Greene
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Cassandra N DuGay
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Guy A Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Kim A Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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11
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Mladineo I, Rončević T, Gerdol M, Tossi A. Helminthic host defense peptides: using the parasite to defend the host. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:345-357. [PMID: 36890022 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic helminths are destined to share niches with a variety of microbiota that inevitably influence their interaction with the host. To modulate the microbiome for their benefit and defend against pathogenic isolates, helminths have developed host defense peptides (HDPs) and proteins as integral elements of their immunity. These often exert a relatively nonspecific membranolytic activity toward bacteria, sometimes with limited or no toxicity toward host cells. With a few exceptions, such as nematode cecropin-like peptides and antibacterial factors (ABFs), helminthic HDPs are largely underexplored. This review scrutinizes current knowledge on the repertoire of such peptides in helminths and promotes their research as potential leads for an anti-infective solution to the burgeoning problem of antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivona Mladineo
- Laboratory of Functional Helminthology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology BC CAS, Branišovska 31, Česke Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic.
| | - Tomislav Rončević
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Split, Ruđera Boškovića 33, Split 21000, Croatia
| | - Marco Gerdol
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste 34127, Italy
| | - Alessandro Tossi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste 34127, Italy
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12
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Midha A, Jarquín-Díaz VH, Ebner F, Löber U, Hayani R, Kundik A, Cardilli A, Heitlinger E, Forslund SK, Hartmann S. Guts within guts: the microbiome of the intestinal helminth parasite Ascaris suum is derived but distinct from its host. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:229. [PMID: 36527132 PMCID: PMC9756626 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01399-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intestinal helminths are extremely prevalent among humans and animals. In particular, intestinal roundworms affect more than 1 billion people around the globe and are a major issue in animal husbandry. These pathogens live in intimate contact with the host gut microbiota and harbor bacteria within their own intestines. Knowledge of the bacterial host microbiome at the site of infection is limited, and data on the parasite microbiome is, to the best of our knowledge, non-existent. RESULTS The intestinal microbiome of the natural parasite and zoonotic macropathogen, Ascaris suum was analyzed in contrast to the diversity and composition of the infected host gut. 16S sequencing of the parasite intestine and host intestinal compartments showed that the parasite gut has a significantly less diverse microbiome than its host, and the host gut exhibits a reduced microbiome diversity at the site of parasite infection in the jejunum. While the host's microbiome composition at the site of infection significantly determines the microbiome composition of its parasite, microbial signatures differentiate the nematodes from their hosts as the Ascaris intestine supports the growth of microbes that are otherwise under-represented in the host gut. CONCLUSION Our data clearly indicate that a nematode infection reduces the microbiome diversity of the host gut, and that the nematode gut represents a selective bacterial niche harboring bacteria that are derived but distinct from the host gut. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Midha
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Infection Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Straße 7, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Víctor Hugo Jarquín-Díaz
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lindenberger Weg 80, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstraße 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Research Group Ecology and Evolution of Molecular Parasite-Host Interactions, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Friederike Ebner
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Infection Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Straße 7, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Löber
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lindenberger Weg 80, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Rima Hayani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Infection Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Straße 7, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Arkadi Kundik
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Infection Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Straße 7, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alessio Cardilli
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lindenberger Weg 80, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Emanuel Heitlinger
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstraße 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Research Group Ecology and Evolution of Molecular Parasite-Host Interactions, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sofia Kirke Forslund
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lindenberger Weg 80, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Hartmann
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Infection Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Straße 7, 14163 Berlin, Germany
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Excretory-secretory products from the brown stomach worm, Teladorsagia circumcincta, exert antimicrobial activity in in vitro growth assays. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:354. [PMID: 36184586 PMCID: PMC9528173 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05443-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the past decade, evidence has emerged of the ability of gastrointestinal (GI) helminth parasites to alter the composition of the host gut microbiome; however, the mechanism(s) underpinning such interactions remain unclear. In the current study, we (i) undertake proteomic analyses of the excretory-secretory products (ESPs), including secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs), of the 'brown stomach worm' Teladorsagia circumcincta, one of the major agents causing parasite gastroenteritis in temperate areas worldwide; (ii) conduct bioinformatic analyses to identify and characterise antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with putative antimicrobial activity; and (iii) assess the bactericidal and/or bacteriostatic properties of T. circumcincta EVs, and whole and EV-depleted ESPs, using bacterial growth inhibition assays. METHODS Size-exclusion chromatography was applied to the isolation of EVs from whole T. circumcincta ESPs, followed by EV characterisation via nanoparticle tracking analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Proteomic analysis of EVs and EV-depleted ESPs was conducted using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and prediction of putative AMPs was performed using available online tools. The antimicrobial activities of T. circumcincta EVs and of whole and EV-depleted ESPs against Escherichia coli were evaluated using bacterial growth inhibition assays. RESULTS Several molecules with putative antimicrobial activity were identified in both EVs and EV-depleted ESPs from adult T. circumcincta. Whilst exposure of E. coli to whole ESPs resulted in a significant reduction of colony-forming units over 3 h, bacterial growth was not reduced following exposure to worm EVs or EV-depleted ESPs. CONCLUSIONS Our data points towards a bactericidal and/or bacteriostatic function of T. circumcincta ESPs, likely mediated by molecules with antimicrobial activity.
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14
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Camacho J, de Conti A, Pogribny IP, Sprando RL, Hunt PR. Assessment of the effects of organic vs. inorganic arsenic and mercury in Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Res Toxicol 2022; 3:100071. [PMID: 35602005 PMCID: PMC9118485 DOI: 10.1016/j.crtox.2022.100071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposures to mercury and arsenic are known to pose significant threats to human health. Effects specific to organic vs. inorganic forms of these toxic elements are less understood however, especially for organic dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), which has recently been detected in pups of rodent dams orally exposed to inorganic sodium (meta)arsenite (NaAsO2). Caenorhabditis elegans is a small animal alternative toxicity model. To fill data gaps on the effects of DMA relative to NaAsO2, C. elegans were exposed to these two compounds alongside more thoroughly researched inorganic mercury chloride (HgCl2) and organic methylmercury chloride (meHgCl). For timing of developmental milestone acquisition in C. elegans, meHgCl was 2 to 4-fold more toxic than HgCl2, and NaAsO2 was 20-fold more toxic than DMA, ranking the four compounds meHgCl > HgCl2 > NaAsO2 ≫ DMA for developmental toxicity. Methylmercury induced significant decreases in population locomotor activity levels in developing C. elegans. DMA was also associated with developmental hypoactivity, but at >100-fold higher concentrations than meHgCl. Transcriptional alterations in native genes were observed in wild type C. elegans adults exposed to concentrations equitoxic for developmental delay in juveniles. Both forms of arsenic induced genes involved in immune defense and oxidative stress response, while the two mercury species induced proportionally more genes involved in transcriptional regulation. A transgenic bioreporter for activation of conserved proteosome specific unfolded protein response was strongly activated by NaAsO2, but not DMA at tested concentrations. HgCl2 and meHgCl had opposite effects on a bioreporter for unfolded protein response in the endoplasmic reticulum. Presented experiments indicating low toxicity for DMA in C. elegans are consistent with human epidemiologic data correlating higher arsenic methylation capacity with resistance to arsenic toxicity. This work contributes to the understanding of the accuracy and fit-for-use categories for C. elegans toxicity screening and its usefulness to prioritize compounds of concern for further testing.
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Key Words
- Alternative Toxicity Model
- Arsenic
- DEGs, Differentially Expressed Genes
- DMA, dimethylarsinic acid
- ER, endoplasmic reticulum
- EXT, extinction (a measure of optical density)
- GO, gene ontology
- HgCl2, mercury(ii) chloride
- Inorganic
- L1, first larval stage C. elegans
- LD50, the median lethal dose per kilogram of body weight
- LOEL, lowest observed effect level
- Mercury
- NOEL, no observed effect level
- NaAsO2, sodium (meta)arsenite
- Organic
- OxStrR, Oxidative Stress Response
- Predictive Toxicology
- TOF, time of flight (a measure of size)
- UPR, Unfolded Protein Response
- iAs, inorganic arsenic
- meHgCl, methylmercury chloride
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Camacho
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, United States
| | - Aline de Conti
- Food and Drug Administration, National Center for Toxicological Research, 3900 NCTR Rd, Jefferson, AR 72079, United States
| | - Igor P. Pogribny
- Food and Drug Administration, National Center for Toxicological Research, 3900 NCTR Rd, Jefferson, AR 72079, United States
| | - Robert L. Sprando
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, United States
| | - Piper Reid Hunt
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, United States
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Chen J, Hao X, Wang B, Ma L. Transcriptomics and coexpression network profiling of the effects of levamisole hydrochloride on Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 181:105019. [PMID: 35082042 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2021.105019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is one of the most dangerous forest pathogens in the world, causing devastating pine forest deaths with considerable economic losses. In this study, we investigated the B. xylophilus RNA sequence responses of two different concentrations of levamisole hydrochloride (LH). We observed that body-wall muscle twitching, paralysis and, ultimately, death. 2.5 mg/ml and 3.5 mg/ml LH have toxicological effects on B. xylophilus, with mortality increasing significantly with concentration (p < 0.05). RNA sequencing, differential gene expression analysis, and cluster analysis were performed, and 336, 384, 6 genes with significant variance in expression were identified. Gene Ontology annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses of the 12 intersecting genes revealed that these genes are mostly involved in metabolism of xenobiotics and have essential roles in drug sensitivity. Through the trend analysis of DEGs, it was divided into 8 modules, and the significant modules were selected to construct the co-expression network as the central genes of the drug metabolism-cytochrome P450 pathway (ko00982) and metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 (ko00980). Eight highly related genes were identified, including cuticle collagen, cystathionine beta-synthase, endochitinase, pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 component subunit beta, aldehyde dehydrogenase, lipase, and zinc metalloproteinase. The expression levels of these genes were upregulated significantly at low concentrations and were significantly related to the resistance of B. xylophilus to LH. This study shows that B. xylophilus gene family expansions occurred in xenobiotic detoxification pathways through gene expression and potential horizontal correlated gene transfer with LH and helps to elucidate LH lethality and the evolutionary mechanisms underlying the adaptations of B. xylophilus to the environment. These results contributing to our understanding of B. xylophilus under LH and provide a data platform to providing a basis for its control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
| | - Xin Hao
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
| | - Buyong Wang
- School of Agriculture and Bioengineering, Heze University, Heze 274015, China.
| | - Ling Ma
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
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Ning J, Zhou J, Wang H, Liu Y, Ahmad F, Feng X, Fu Y, Gu X, Zhao L. Parallel Evolution of C-Type Lectin Domain Gene Family Sizes in Insect-Vectored Nematodes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:856826. [PMID: 35557736 PMCID: PMC9085898 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.856826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The dispersal stage of pathogens is crucial for the successful spread and infection of their hosts. Some plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) have evolved specialized dispersal stages to reach healthy hosts by being carried out by insect vectors. Because gene gain and loss is a major factor contributing to the evolution of novel characteristics, it is essential to clarify the gene family characteristics among nematodes with different dispersal modes to disentangle the evolution of insect-mediated dispersal. Here, the size of the C-type lectin (CTL) family genes of insect-vectored nematodes was found to be drastically reduced compared with those of self-dispersing nematodes, whereas the diversity of their functional domains was significantly higher. The gene family sizes of vector-dispersed nematodes were only a twentieth of the size of that of a self-dispersing (i.e., without a biotic vector) nematode model Caenorhabditis elegans, and these genes were inactive during the dispersal stage. Phylogenetic analysis showed that some CTL genes of vector-borne PPNs shared higher homology to the animal parasitic nematodes compared with other PPNs. Moreover, homology modeling predicted that the CTLs of insect-vectored nematodes bear remarkable structural similarity to the lectin genes of their vector's immune system. Because CTL genes are important sugar-binding proteins for the innate immune response of C. elegans, the loss of some CTL genes of vector-transmitted PPNs might be responsible for their parallel adaptations to a mutualistic relationship with their vector. These results expand our understanding of the evolutionary benefits of vector-mediated transmission for the nematode and vector-nematode co-evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Ning
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haixiang Wang
- College of Forestry, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Yaning Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Faheem Ahmad
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Xiaohui Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaoting Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lilin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Lilin Zhao
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17
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An integrated view of innate immune mechanisms in C. elegans. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2307-2317. [PMID: 34623403 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The simple notion 'infection causes an immune response' is being progressively refined as it becomes clear that immune mechanisms cannot be understood in isolation, but need to be considered in a more global context with other cellular and physiological processes. In part, this reflects the deployment by pathogens of virulence factors that target diverse cellular processes, such as translation or mitochondrial respiration, often with great molecular specificity. It also reflects molecular cross-talk between a broad range of host signalling pathways. Studies with the model animal C. elegans have uncovered a range of examples wherein innate immune responses are intimately connected with different homeostatic mechanisms, and can influence reproduction, ageing and neurodegeneration, as well as various other aspects of its biology. Here we provide a short overview of a number of such connections, highlighting recent discoveries that further the construction of a fully integrated view of innate immunity.
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18
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Abstract
A variety of effector proteins contribute to host defense in Caenorhabditis elegans. However, beyond lytic enzymes and antimicrobial peptides and proteins, little is known about the exact function of these infection-related effectors. This study set out to identify pathogen-dependent cytokine-like molecules, focusing on C-type lectin domain-containing proteins (CLECs). In total, 38 CLECs that are differentially regulated in response to bacterial infections have been previously identified by microarray and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses in C. elegans. We successfully cloned 18 of these 38 CLECs and chose to focus on CLEC-47 because, among these 18 cloned CLECs, it was the smallest protein and was recombinantly expressed at the highest levels in prokaryotic cells examined by SDS-PAGE. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR/qPCR) showed that the expression of clec-47 was induced by a variety of Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Cutibacterium acnes, but was suppressed by the Gram-negative bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. By expressing CLEC-47 in HEK 293 cells, we showed that CLEC-47 is released into the culture media, which the Golgi apparatus inhibitors (brefeldin A [BFA] and GolgiStop) could block. Purified recombinant CLEC-47 (maltose binding protein [MBP]–CLEC-47–His) did not display antimicrobial activity against ESKAPE pathogen isolates but bound directly to murine macrophage J774A.1 cells. Recombinant CLEC-47 attracted and recruited J774A.1 cells in a chemotaxis assay. In addition, qPCR studies and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) showed that CLEC-47 activates J774A.1 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner to express the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 2 (MIP-2). Moreover, C. elegans, fed with CLEC-47-expressing Escherichia coli, demonstrated enhanced expression of several antimicrobial proteins (CNC-1, CNC-2, CPR-1, and CPR-2) as well as the detoxification protein MTL-1. These data suggest that CLEC-47 functions as a novel cytokine-like signaling molecule and exemplify how the study of infection-related effectors in C. elegans can help elucidate the evolution of immune responses.
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19
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Midha A, Goyette-Desjardins G, Goerdeler F, Moscovitz O, Seeberger PH, Tedin K, Bertzbach LD, Lepenies B, Hartmann S. Lectin-Mediated Bacterial Modulation by the Intestinal Nematode Ascaris suum. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168739. [PMID: 34445445 PMCID: PMC8395819 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascariasis is a global health problem for humans and animals. Adult Ascaris nematodes are long-lived in the host intestine where they interact with host cells as well as members of the microbiota resulting in chronic infections. Nematode interactions with host cells and the microbial environment are prominently mediated by parasite-secreted proteins and peptides possessing immunomodulatory and antimicrobial activities. Previously, we discovered the C-type lectin protein AsCTL-42 in the secreted products of adult Ascaris worms. Here we tested recombinant AsCTL-42 for its ability to interact with bacterial and host cells. We found that AsCTL-42 lacks bactericidal activity but neutralized bacterial cells without killing them. Treatment of bacterial cells with AsCTL-42 reduced invasion of intestinal epithelial cells by Salmonella. Furthermore, AsCTL-42 interacted with host myeloid C-type lectin receptors. Thus, AsCTL-42 is a parasite protein involved in the triad relationship between Ascaris, host cells, and the microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Midha
- Institute of Immunology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Guillaume Goyette-Desjardins
- Institute for Immunology & Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (G.G.-D.); (B.L.)
| | - Felix Goerdeler
- Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.G.); (O.M.); (P.H.S.)
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Oren Moscovitz
- Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.G.); (O.M.); (P.H.S.)
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter H. Seeberger
- Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (F.G.); (O.M.); (P.H.S.)
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Karsten Tedin
- Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Luca D. Bertzbach
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany;
- Department of Viral Transformation, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology (HPI), 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Lepenies
- Institute for Immunology & Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (G.G.-D.); (B.L.)
| | - Susanne Hartmann
- Institute of Immunology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany;
- Correspondence:
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20
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Ford SA, King KC. In Vivo Microbial Coevolution Favors Host Protection and Plastic Downregulation of Immunity. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:1330-1338. [PMID: 33179739 PMCID: PMC8042738 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbiota can protect their hosts from infection. The short timescales in which microbes can evolve presents the possibility that “protective microbes” can take-over from the immune system of longer-lived hosts in the coevolutionary race against pathogens. Here, we found that coevolution between a protective bacterium (Enterococcus faecalis) and a virulent pathogen (Staphylococcus aureus) within an animal population (Caenorhabditis elegans) resulted in more disease suppression than when the protective bacterium adapted to uninfected hosts. At the same time, more protective E. faecalis populations became costlier to harbor and altered the expression of 134 host genes. Many of these genes appear to be related to the mechanism of protection, reactive oxygen species production. Crucially, more protective E. faecalis populations downregulated a key immune gene, , known to be effective against S. aureus infection. These results suggest that a microbial line of defense is favored by microbial coevolution and may cause hosts to plastically divest of their own immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne A Ford
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kayla C King
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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21
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Radeke LJ, Herman MA. Take a Walk to the Wild Side of Caenorhabditis elegans-Pathogen Interactions. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2021; 85:e00146-20. [PMID: 33731489 PMCID: PMC8139523 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00146-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbiomes form intimate functional associations with their hosts. Much has been learned from correlating changes in microbiome composition to host organismal functions. However, in-depth functional studies require the manipulation of microbiome composition coupled with the precise interrogation of organismal physiology-features available in few host study systems. Caenorhabditis elegans has proven to be an excellent genetic model organism to study innate immunity and, more recently, microbiome interactions. The study of C. elegans-pathogen interactions has provided in depth understanding of innate immune pathways, many of which are conserved in other animals. However, many bacteria were chosen for these studies because of their convenience in the lab setting or their implication in human health rather than their native interactions with C. elegans In their natural environment, C. elegans feed on a variety of bacteria found in rotting organic matter, such as rotting fruits, flowers, and stems. Recent work has begun to characterize the native microbiome and has identified a common set of bacteria found in the microbiome of C. elegans While some of these bacteria are beneficial to C. elegans health, others are detrimental, leading to a complex, multifaceted understanding of bacterium-nematode interactions. Current research on nematode-bacterium interactions is focused on these native microbiome components, both their interactions with each other and with C. elegans We will summarize our knowledge of bacterial pathogen-host interactions in C. elegans, as well as recent work on the native microbiome, and explore the incorporation of these bacterium-nematode interactions into studies of innate immunity and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah J Radeke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Michael A Herman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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22
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Pees B, Yang W, Kloock A, Petersen C, Peters L, Fan L, Friedrichsen M, Butze S, Zárate-Potes A, Schulenburg H, Dierking K. Effector and regulator: Diverse functions of C. elegans C-type lectin-like domain proteins. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009454. [PMID: 33793670 PMCID: PMC8051790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In C. elegans, 283 clec genes encode a highly diverse family of C-type lectin-like domain (CTLD) proteins. Since vertebrate CTLD proteins have characterized functions in defense responses against pathogens and since expression of C. elegans clec genes is pathogen-dependent, it is generally assumed that clec genes function in C. elegans immune defenses. However, little is known about the relative contribution and exact function of CLEC proteins in C. elegans immunity. Here, we focused on the C. elegans clec gene clec-4, whose expression is highly upregulated by pathogen infection, and its paralogs clec-41 and clec-42. We found that, while mutation of clec-4 resulted in enhanced resistance to the Gram-positive pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis MYBt18247 (Bt247), inactivation of clec-41 and clec-42 by RNAi enhanced susceptibility to Bt247. Further analyses revealed that enhanced resistance of clec-4 mutants to Bt247 was due to an increase in feeding cessation on the pathogen and consequently a decrease in pathogen load. Moreover, clec-4 mutants exhibited feeding deficits also on non-pathogenic bacteria that were in part reflected in the clec-4 gene expression profile, which overlapped with gene sets affected by starvation or mutation in nutrient sensing pathways. However, loss of CLEC-4 function only mildly affected life-history traits such as fertility, indicating that clec-4 mutants are not subjected to dietary restriction. While CLEC-4 function appears to be associated with the regulation of feeding behavior, we show that CLEC-41 and CLEC-42 proteins likely function as bona fide immune effector proteins that have bacterial binding and antimicrobial capacities. Together, our results exemplify functional diversification within clec gene paralogs. C-type lectin-like domain (CTLD) containing proteins fulfill various and fundamental tasks in the human and mouse immune system. Genes encoding CTLD proteins are present in all animal genomes, in some cases in very large numbers and highly diversified. While the function of several vertebrate CTLD proteins is well characterized, experimental evidence of an immune function of most invertebrate CTLD proteins is missing, although their role in immunity is usually assumed. We here explore the immune function of three related CTLD proteins in the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that they play diverse roles in C. elegans immunity, functioning as antimicrobial immune effector proteins that are important for defense against pathogen infection and probably directly interact with bacteria, but also regulators of feeding behavior that more indirectly affect C. elegans pathogen resistance. Such insight into the functional consequence of invertebrate CTLD protein diversification contributes to our understanding of the evolution of innate and invertebrate immune systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Pees
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Comparative Immunobiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Wentao Yang
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Anke Kloock
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Carola Petersen
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Comparative Immunobiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lena Peters
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Li Fan
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Meike Friedrichsen
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sabrina Butze
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Alejandra Zárate-Potes
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hinrich Schulenburg
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Ploen, Germany
| | - Katja Dierking
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- * E-mail:
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23
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Abstract
Although Caenorhabditis elegans has been used as a model host for studying host-pathogen interactions for more than 20 years, the mechanisms by which it identifies pathogens are not well understood. This is largely due to its lack of most known pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that recognize pathogen-derived molecules. Recent behavioral research in C. elegans indicates that its nervous system plays a major role in microbe sensing. With the increasing integration of neurobiology in immunological research, future studies may find that neuronal detection of pathogens is an integral part of C. elegans-pathogen interactions. Similar to that of mammals, the C. elegans nervous system regulates its immune system to maintain immunological homeostasis. Studies in the nematode have revealed unprecedented details regarding the molecules, cells, and signaling pathways involved in neural regulation of immunity. Notably, some of the studies indicate that some neuroimmune regulatory circuits need not be "activated" by pathogen infection because they are tonically active and that there could be a predetermined set point for internal immunity, around which the nervous system adjusts immune responses to internal or external environmental changes. Here, we review recent progress on the roles of the C. elegans nervous system in pathogen detection and immune regulation. Because of its advantageous characteristics, we expect that the C. elegans model will be critical for deciphering complex neuroimmune signaling mechanisms that integrate and process multiple sensory cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyong Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington, USA
- Genomics Core, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington, USA
| | - Jingru Sun
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington, USA
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Mohd-Shaharuddin N, Lim YAL, Ngui R, Nathan S. Expression of Ascaris lumbricoides putative virulence-associated genes when infecting a human host. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:176. [PMID: 33757548 PMCID: PMC7985925 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04680-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ascaris lumbricoides is the most common causative agent of soil-transmitted helminth infections worldwide, with an estimated 450 million people infected with this nematode globally. It is suggested that helminths are capable of evading and manipulating the host immune system through the release of a spectrum of worm proteins which underpins their long-term survival in the host. We hypothesise that the worm overexpresses these proteins when infecting adults compared to children to cirvumvent the more robust defence mechanisms of adults. However, little is known about the parasite's genes and encoded proteins involved during A. lumbricoides infection. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the expression profile of putative virulence-associated genes during an active infection of adults and children. METHODS In this study, quantitative PCR was performed to evaluate the expression profile of putative virulence-associated genes in A. lumbricoides isolated from infected children and adults. The study was initiated by collecting adult worms expelled from adults and children following anthelminthic treatment. High-quality RNA was successfully extracted from each of six adult worms expelled by three adults and three children, respectively. Eleven putative homologues of helminth virulence-associated genes reported in previous studies were selected, primers were designed and specific amplicons of A. lumbricoides genes were noted. The expression profiles of these putative virulence-associated genes in A. lumbricoides from infected adults were compared to those in A. lumbricoides from infected children. RESULTS The putative virulence-associated genes VENOM, CADHERIN and PEBP were significantly upregulated at 166-fold, 13-fold and fivefold, respectively, in adults compared to children. Conversely, the transcription of ABA-1 (fourfold), CATH-L (threefold) and INTEGRIN (twofold) was significantly suppressed in A. lumbricoides from infected adults. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of the expression profile of the putative virulence-associated genes, we propose that the encoded proteins have potential roles in evasion mechanisms, which could guide the development of therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yvonne Ai Lian Lim
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Romano Ngui
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sheila Nathan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
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25
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Zhou M, Liu X, Yu H, Gong J. Lactobacillus Regulates Caenorhabditis elegans Cell Signaling to Combat Salmonella Infection. Front Immunol 2021; 12:653205. [PMID: 33763087 PMCID: PMC7982399 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.653205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmonella typhimurium DT104 infection causes the death of Caenorhabditis elegans, which can be prevented by certain Lactobacillus isolates. However, the molecular mechanisms of both the host response to the infection and the protection by Lactobacillus are largely unclear. The present study has investigated the life-span and gene expression of both wild-type (WT) and mutants in some key components of cell signaling in response to S. typhimurium infection and protection from Lactobacillus zeae. The results indicated that the gene expression of daf-16 in the DAF/ insulin-like growth factor (DAF/IGF) pathway, ced-3 and ced-9 in the programmed cell death (PCD) pathway, lys-7, spp-1, and abf-3 for antimicrobial peptide production, and bar-1 involved in the production of other defense molecules was all significantly upregulated when the wild-type (WT) was subjected to DT104 infection. On the contrary, the gene expression of tir-1, sek-1, and pmk-1 in the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and clec-60, sod-3, and skn-1 for the production of other defense molecules was significantly suppressed by DT104. Pretreatment of the worms with L. zeae LB1 significantly upregulated the expression of almost all the tested genes except for ced-3, ced-9, abf-2, age-1, and dbl-1 compared with the nematode infected with DT104 only. Mutants defective in the cell signaling or other defense molecules of C. elegans were either more susceptible (defective in nsy-1, sek-1, pmk-1, ced-3, ced-9, skn-1, or daf-16) or more resistant (defective in age-1 or dbl-1) to DT104 infection than the WT except for the mutant defective in sod-3. Mutants defective in antimicrobial peptides (lys-7 or abf-3) were also more susceptible than the WT. In contrast, the mutant defective in spp-1 became more resistant. When all the mutants were pretreated with L. zeae LB1, five mutants that are defective in nsy-1, sek-1, pmk-1, abf-3, or lys-7 showed no response to the protection from LB1. These results suggest that L. zeae LB1 can regulate C. elegans cell signaling including the p38 MAPK pathway and downstream production of antimicrobial peptides and defense molecules to combat Salmonella infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhou Zhou
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Hubei, China.,Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Xiaozhen Liu
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Engineering Research Center of Health Food Design & Nutrition Regulation, School of Chemical Engineering and Energy Technology, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, China
| | - Hai Yu
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua Gong
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
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26
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Abstract
In its natural habitat, C. elegans encounters a wide variety of microbes, including food, commensals and pathogens. To be able to survive long enough to reproduce, C. elegans has developed a complex array of responses to pathogens. These activities are coordinated on scales that range from individual organelles to the entire organism. Often, the response is triggered within cells, by detection of infection-induced damage, mainly in the intestine or epidermis. C. elegans has, however, a capacity for cell non-autonomous regulation of these responses. This frequently involves the nervous system, integrating pathogen recognition, altering host biology and governing avoidance behavior. Although there are significant differences with the immune system of mammals, some mechanisms used to limit pathogenesis show remarkable phylogenetic conservation. The past 20 years have witnessed an explosion of host-pathogen interaction studies using C. elegans as a model. This review will discuss the broad themes that have emerged and highlight areas that remain to be fully explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline N Martineau
- Aix Marseille Université, Inserm, CNRS, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | | | - Nathalie Pujol
- Aix Marseille Université, Inserm, CNRS, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France.
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27
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Bruno JB, Dal Ponte ES, Retamoso V, Maurer P, Berro LF, Manfredini V, da Costa Escobar Piccoli J. Association between carriers of the G allele of the + 45T> G variant of the ADIPOQ gene ( rs 2241766) and the cardiometabolic profile in sickle cell trait. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06443. [PMID: 33748495 PMCID: PMC7966990 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS investigate the association between the +45T > G variant of the ADIPOQ gene and the metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with sickle cell trait (SCT). 33 patients with SCT and 35 control group participated in the study. Lower levels of HDL and adiponectin were observed in patients with G allele and sickle cell trait. There were no differences between the prevalence of MS between the groups and there was no association between the +45T > G variant of the ADIPOQ gene and MS risk allele. MATERIALS AND METHODS Participants with and without sickle cell anemia answered a questionnaire, performed anthropometric and laboratory analyzes. They were genotyped for the +45T > G variant of the ADIPOQ gene and evaluated for the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of UNIPAMPA (RS/Brazil). KEY FINDINGS The GG + TG genetic model, it was associated with lower levels of adiponectin and HDL cholesterol in the SCT group. There was no association between the other studied markers and MS. SIGNIFICANCE For the first time, an association was demonstrated between the G allele of the +45T > G variant of the ADIPOQ gene and a worse cardiometabolic profile (lower serum concentrations of adiponectin and HDL cholesterol) in patients with sickle cell trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamila Benvegnú Bruno
- Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry, Federal University of Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, P.O. BOX 118, Zip Code 97508-000, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Emanuelle Schneider Dal Ponte
- Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry, Federal University of Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, P.O. BOX 118, Zip Code 97508-000, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Retamoso
- Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry, Federal University of Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, P.O. BOX 118, Zip Code 97508-000, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Maurer
- Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry, Federal University of Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, P.O. BOX 118, Zip Code 97508-000, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Lyana Feijoó Berro
- Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry, Federal University of Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, P.O. BOX 118, Zip Code 97508-000, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Vanusa Manfredini
- Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry, Federal University of Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, P.O. BOX 118, Zip Code 97508-000, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jacqueline da Costa Escobar Piccoli
- Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry, Federal University of Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, P.O. BOX 118, Zip Code 97508-000, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, BR 472, Km 592, P.O. BOX 118, Zip Code 97508-000, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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The antimicrobial peptide Brevinin-2ISb enhances the innate immune response against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by activating DAF-2/DAF-16 signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans, as determined by in vivo imaging. JOURNAL OF BIO-X RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1097/jbr.0000000000000079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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29
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Gravato-Nobre M, Hodgkin J, Ligoxygakis P. From pathogen to a commensal: modification of the Microbacterium nematophilum-Caenorhabditis elegans interaction during chronic infection by the absence of host insulin signalling. Biol Open 2020; 9:bio053504. [PMID: 32580971 PMCID: PMC7561485 DOI: 10.1242/bio.053504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans depends on microbes in decaying vegetation as its food source. To survive in an environment rich in opportunistic pathogens, Celegans has evolved an epithelial defence system where surface-exposed tissues such as epidermis, pharynx, intestine, vulva and hindgut have the capacity of eliciting appropriate immune defences to acute gut infection. However, it is unclear how the worm responds to chronic intestinal infections. To this end, we have surveyed Celegans mutants that are involved in inflammation, immunity and longevity to find their phenotypes during chronic infection. Worms that grew in a monoculture of the natural pathogen Microbacterium nematophilum (CBX102 strain) had a reduced lifespan and vigour. This was independent of intestinal colonisation as both CBX102 and the derived avirulent strain UV336 were early persistent colonisers. In contrast, the long-lived daf-2 mutant was resistant to chronic infection, showing reduced colonisation and higher vigour. In fact, UV336 interaction with daf-2 resulted in a host lifespan extension beyond OP50, the Escherichia coli strain used for laboratory Celegans culture. Longevity and vigour of daf-2 mutants growing on CBX102 was dependent on the FOXO orthologue DAF-16. Our results indicate that the interaction between host genotype and strain-specific bacteria determines longevity and health for C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gravato-Nobre
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Development and Genetics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Jonathan Hodgkin
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Development and Genetics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Petros Ligoxygakis
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Development and Genetics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
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30
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Ke T, Antunes Soares FA, Santamaría A, Bowman AB, Skalny AV, Aschner M. N,N' bis-(2-mercaptoethyl) isophthalamide induces developmental delay in Caenorhabditis elegans by promoting DAF-16 nuclear localization. Toxicol Rep 2020; 7:930-937. [PMID: 32793422 PMCID: PMC7406974 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2020.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
NBMI induces developmental delays in C. elegans. The nuclear translocation of DAF-16 is involved in the developmental effects of NBMI. NBMI represses the expression of detoxifying genes (skn-1, gst-4 and gcs-1).
N,N’ bis-(2-mercaptoethyl) isophthalamide (NBMI) is a lipophilic thiol-containing agent that has high affinity for toxic metal ions, such as Hg2+, Pb2+, and Cd2+. Studies have shown that NBMI is a potent chelator of heavy metals, yet its potential toxicity in animals has yet to be determined. Using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), we show no significant change in worms’ death rate or lifespan following NBMI treatment (10−1000 μM). However, NBMI treatment was associated with a significant developmental delay. To determine if the daf-2/age-1/daf-16 pathway is involved in NBMI toxicity, mRNA levels of these genes were assessed in worms treated with NBMI. Here, we found that while NBMI failed to significantly alter the expression of daf-16 or daf-2; age-1 was significantly downregulated by NBMI. Furthermore, NBMI significantly increased DAF-16 nuclear localization. Consistent with a role for this pathway in NBMI toxicity, the developmental arrest by NBMI was more prominent in the DAF-16 transgenic strain than in the wild type N2 strain. Moreover, in the mutant strains harboring null alleles of daf-16, NBMI had no effect on development. In addition, NBMI repressed the expression of detoxifying genes (skn-1, gst-4 and gcs-1). In summary, NBMI has a low developmental toxicity in the C. elegans model, and the nuclear translocation of DAF-16 is involved in the developmental effect of NBMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Ke
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, United States
| | | | - Abel Santamaría
- Laboratorio de Aminoácidos Excitadores, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, 14269, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Aaron B Bowman
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051, United States
| | - Anatoly V Skalny
- Yaroslavl State University, Sovetskaya St., 14, Yaroslavl 150000, Russia
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, United States
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31
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El-Houjeiri L, Possik E, Vijayaraghavan T, Paquette M, Martina JA, Kazan JM, Ma EH, Jones R, Blanchette P, Puertollano R, Pause A. The Transcription Factors TFEB and TFE3 Link the FLCN-AMPK Signaling Axis to Innate Immune Response and Pathogen Resistance. Cell Rep 2020; 26:3613-3628.e6. [PMID: 30917316 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.02.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
TFEB and TFE3 are transcriptional regulators of the innate immune response, but the mechanisms regulating their activation upon pathogen infection are poorly elucidated. Using C. elegans and mammalian models, we report that the master metabolic modulator 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its negative regulator Folliculin (FLCN) act upstream of TFEB/TFE3 in the innate immune response, independently of the mTORC1 signaling pathway. In nematodes, loss of FLCN or overexpression of AMPK confers pathogen resistance via activation of TFEB/TFE3-dependent antimicrobial genes, whereas ablation of total AMPK activity abolishes this phenotype. Similarly, in mammalian cells, loss of FLCN or pharmacological activation of AMPK induces TFEB/TFE3-dependent pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Importantly, a rapid reduction in cellular ATP levels in murine macrophages is observed upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment accompanied by an acute AMPK activation and TFEB nuclear localization. These results uncover an ancient, highly conserved, and pharmacologically actionable mechanism coupling energy status with innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leeanna El-Houjeiri
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Elite Possik
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Tarika Vijayaraghavan
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mathieu Paquette
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - José A Martina
- Cell Biology and Physiology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jalal M Kazan
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Eric H Ma
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Russell Jones
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Paola Blanchette
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Rosa Puertollano
- Cell Biology and Physiology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Arnim Pause
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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Zhang W, Xie R, Zhang XD, Lee LTO, Zhang H, Yang M, Peng B, Zheng J. Organism dual RNA-seq reveals the importance of BarA/UvrY in Vibrio parahaemolyticus virulence. FASEB J 2020; 34:7561-7577. [PMID: 32281204 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201902630r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Elucidation of host-pathogen interaction is essential for developing effective strategies to combat bacterial infection. Dual RNA-Seq using cultured cells or tissues/organs as the host of pathogen has emerged as a novel strategy to understand the responses concurrently from both pathogen and host at cellular level. However, bacterial infection mostly causes systematic responses from the host at organism level where the interplay is urgently to be understood but inevitably being neglected by the current practice. Here, we developed an approach that simultaneously monitor the genome-wide infection-linked transcriptional alterations in both pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus and the infection host nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Besides the dynamic alterations in transcriptomes of both C. elegans and V. parahaemolyticus during infection, we identify a two-component system, BarA/UvrY, that is important for virulence in host. BarA/UvrY not only controls the virulence factors in V. parahaemolyticus including Type III and Type VI secretion systems, but also attenuates innate immune responses in C. elegans, including repression on the MAP kinase-mediated cascades. Thus, our study exemplifies the use of dual RNA-Seq at organism level to uncover previously unrecognized interplay between host and pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Zhang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Ruiqiang Xie
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | | | - Leo Tsz On Lee
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Menghua Yang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bo Peng
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.,School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Zheng
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
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Schreiner WP, Pagliuso DC, Garrigues JM, Chen JS, Aalto AP, Pasquinelli AE. Remodeling of the Caenorhabditis elegans non-coding RNA transcriptome by heat shock. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:9829-9841. [PMID: 31396626 PMCID: PMC6765114 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Elevated temperatures activate a heat shock response (HSR) to protect cells from the pathological effects of protein mis-folding, cellular mis-organization, organelle dysfunction and altered membrane fluidity. This response includes activation of the conserved transcription factor heat shock factor 1 (HSF-1), which binds heat shock elements (HSEs) in the promoters of genes induced by heat shock (HS). The upregulation of protein-coding genes (PCGs), such as heat shock proteins and cytoskeletal regulators, is critical for cellular survival during elevated temperatures. While the transcriptional response of PCGs to HS has been comprehensively analyzed in a variety of organisms, the effect of this stress on the expression of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) has not been systematically examined. Here we show that in Caenorhabditis elegans HS induces up- and downregulation of specific ncRNAs from multiple classes, including miRNA, piRNA, lincRNA, pseudogene and repeat elements. Moreover, some ncRNA genes appear to be direct targets of the HSR, as they contain HSF-1 bound HSEs in their promoters and their expression is regulated by this factor during HS. These results demonstrate that multiple ncRNA genes respond to HS, some as direct HSF-1 targets, providing new candidates that may contribute to organismal survival during this stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- William P Schreiner
- Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0349, USA
| | - Delaney C Pagliuso
- Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0349, USA
| | - Jacob M Garrigues
- Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0349, USA
| | - Jerry S Chen
- Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0349, USA
| | - Antti P Aalto
- Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0349, USA
| | - Amy E Pasquinelli
- Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0349, USA
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Miles J, Scherz-Shouval R, van Oosten-Hawle P. Expanding the Organismal Proteostasis Network: Linking Systemic Stress Signaling with the Innate Immune Response. Trends Biochem Sci 2019; 44:927-942. [PMID: 31303384 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2019.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Stress response pathways regulate proteostasis and mitigate macromolecular damage to promote long-term cellular health. Intercellular signaling is an essential layer of systemic proteostasis in an organism and is facilitated via transcellular signaling molecules that orchestrate the activation of stress responses across tissues and organs. Accumulating evidence indicates that components of the immune response act as signaling factors that regulate the cell-non-autonomous proteostasis network. Here, we review emergent advances in our understanding of cell-non-autonomous regulators of proteostasis networks in multicellular settings, from the model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans, to humans. We further discuss how innate immune responses can be players of the organismal proteostasis network and discuss how both are linked in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay Miles
- School of Molecular and Cell Biology and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Ruth Scherz-Shouval
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Patricija van Oosten-Hawle
- School of Molecular and Cell Biology and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
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35
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Wang T, Ma G, Ang CS, Korhonen PK, Koehler AV, Young ND, Nie S, Williamson NA, Gasser RB. High throughput LC-MS/MS-based proteomic analysis of excretory-secretory products from short-term in vitro culture of Haemonchus contortus. J Proteomics 2019; 204:103375. [PMID: 31071474 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic nematodes of humans, animals and plants have a major, adverse impact on global health and agricultural production worldwide. To cope with their surrounding environment in and the immune attack from the host, excretory-secretory (ES) proteins are released by nematodes to orchestrate or regulate parasite-host interactions. In the present study, we characterised the ES products from short-term (12 h) in vitro culture of different developmental stages/sexes of Haemonchus contortus (one of the most important parasitic nematodes of livestock animals worldwide) using a high throughput tandem mass-spectrometry, underpinned by the most recent genomic dataset. In total, 878 unique proteins from key developmental stages/sexes (third-stage and fourth-stage larvae, and female and male adults) were identified and quantified with high confidence. Bioinformatic analyses showed noteworthy ES protein alterations during the transition from the free-living to the parasitic phase, especially for proteins which are likely involved in nutrient digestion and acquisition as well as parasite-host interactions, such as proteolytic cascade-related peptidases, glycoside hydrolases, C-type lectins and sperm-coating protein/Tpx/antigen 5/pathogenesis related-1/Sc7 (= SCP/TAPS) proteins. Our findings provide an avenue to better explore interactive processes between the host and this highly significant parasitic nematode, to underpin the search for novel drug and vaccine targets. SIGNIFICANCE: The present study represents a comprehensive proteomic analysis of the secretome of key developmental stages/sexes of H. contortus maintained in short-term in vitro culture. High throughput LC-MS/MS analysis of ES products allowed the identification of a large repertoire of proteins (secretome) and the establishment of a new proteomic database for H. contortus. The secretome of H. contortus undergoes substantial changes during the nematode's transition from free-living to parasitic stages, suggesting a constant adaptation to different environments outside of and within the host animal. Understanding the host-parasite relationship at the molecular level could assist significantly in the development of intervention strategies (i.e. novel drugs and vaccines) against H. contortus and related nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Guangxu Ma
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Ching-Seng Ang
- Bio21 Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Pasi K Korhonen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Anson V Koehler
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Neil D Young
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Shuai Nie
- Bio21 Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Nicholas A Williamson
- Bio21 Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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Anderson A, McMullan R. Neuronal and non-neuronal signals regulate Caernorhabditis elegans avoidance of contaminated food. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0255. [PMID: 29866922 PMCID: PMC6000145 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
One way in which animals minimize the risk of infection is to reduce their contact with contaminated food. Here, we establish a model of pathogen-contaminated food avoidance using the nematode worm Caernorhabditis elegans. We find that avoidance of pathogen-contaminated food protects C. elegans from the deleterious effects of infection and, using genetic approaches, demonstrate that multiple sensory neurons are required for this avoidance behaviour. In addition, our results reveal that the avoidance of contaminated food requires bacterial adherence to non-neuronal cells in the tail of C. elegans that are also required for the cellular immune response. Previous studies in C. elegans have contributed significantly to our understanding of molecular and cellular basis of host–pathogen interactions and our model provides a unique opportunity to gain basic insights into how animals avoid contaminated food. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Anderson
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Rachel McMullan
- School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK7 2AA, UK
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Identification of a Conserved, Orphan G Protein-Coupled Receptor Required for Efficient Pathogen Clearance in Caenorhabditis elegans. Infect Immun 2019; 87:IAI.00034-19. [PMID: 30692178 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00034-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors contribute to host defense across the animal kingdom, transducing many signals involved in both vertebrate and invertebrate immune responses. While it has become well established that the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans triggers innate immune responses following infection with numerous bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens, the mechanisms by which C. elegans recognizes these pathogens have remained somewhat more elusive. C. elegans G protein-coupled receptors have been implicated in recognizing pathogen-associated damage and activating downstream host immune responses. Here we identify and characterize a novel G protein-coupled receptor required to regulate the C. elegans response to infection with Microbacterium nematophilum We show that this receptor, which we designate pathogen clearance-defective receptor 1 (PCDR-1), is required for efficient pathogen clearance following infection. PCDR-1 acts upstream of multiple G proteins, including the C. elegans Gαq ortholog, EGL-30, in rectal epithelial cells to promote pathogen clearance via a novel mechanism.
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38
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Centrosome Loss Triggers a Transcriptional Program To Counter Apoptosis-Induced Oxidative Stress. Genetics 2019; 212:187-211. [PMID: 30867197 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Centrosomes play a critical role in mitotic spindle assembly through their role in microtubule nucleation and bipolar spindle assembly. Loss of centrosomes can impair the ability of some cells to properly conduct mitotic division, leading to chromosomal instability, cell stress, and aneuploidy. Multiple aspects of the cellular response to mitotic error associated with centrosome loss appear to involve activation of JNK signaling. To further characterize the transcriptional effects of centrosome loss, we compared gene expression profiles of wild-type and acentrosomal cells from Drosophila wing imaginal discs. We found elevation of expression of JNK target genes, which we verified at the protein level. Consistent with this, the upregulated gene set showed significant enrichment for the AP-1 consensus DNA-binding sequence. We also found significant elevation in expression of genes regulating redox balance. Based on those findings, we examined oxidative stress after centrosome loss, revealing that acentrosomal wing cells have significant increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS). We then performed a candidate genetic screen and found that one of the genes upregulated in acentrosomal cells, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, plays an important role in buffering acentrosomal cells against increased ROS and helps protect those cells from cell death. Our data and other recent studies have revealed a complex network of signaling pathways, transcriptional programs, and cellular processes that epithelial cells use to respond to stressors, like mitotic errors, to help limit cell damage and maintain normal tissue development.
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Yang KH, Yun B, Choi HJ, Ryu S, Lee WJ, Oh MH, Song MH, Kim JN, Oh S, Kim Y, Kim YJ. Simple Evaluation of Listeria monocytogenes Pathogenesis Using Caenorhabditis elegans Animal Model. Food Sci Anim Resour 2019; 39:84-92. [PMID: 30882077 PMCID: PMC6411236 DOI: 10.5851/kosfa.2019.e6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a major cause of serious foodborne illness in the dairy foods. Although Caenorhabditis elegans model is well established as a virulence model of pathogenic bacteria, its application on L. monocytogenes is critically unclear. The objective of this study was to carry out an evaluation of L. monocytogenes toxicity using C. elegans nematode as a simple host model. We found that C. elegans nematodes have high susceptibility to L. monocytogenes infection, as a consequence of accumulation of bacteria in the worms' intestine. However, L. innocua, which is known to be non-toxic, is not accumulate in the intestine of worms and is not toxic similarly to Escherichia coli OP50 known as the normal feed source of C. elegans. Importantly, immune-associated genes of C. elegans were intensely upregulated more than 3.0-fold when they exposed to L. monocytogenes. In conclusion, we established that C. elegans is an effective model for studying the toxicity of L. monocytogenes and we anticipate that this system will result in the discovery of many potential anti-listeria agents for dairy foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung Hee Yang
- Department of Food and Biotechnology,
Korea University, Sejong 30019,
Korea
| | - Bohyun Yun
- Department of Animal Science and Institute
of Milk Genomics, Chonbuk National University,
Jeonju 54896, Korea
| | - Hye Jin Choi
- Department of Animal Science and Institute
of Milk Genomics, Chonbuk National University,
Jeonju 54896, Korea
| | - Sangdon Ryu
- Department of Animal Science and Institute
of Milk Genomics, Chonbuk National University,
Jeonju 54896, Korea
| | - Woong Ji Lee
- Department of Animal Science and Institute
of Milk Genomics, Chonbuk National University,
Jeonju 54896, Korea
| | - Mi-Hwa Oh
- Animal Products Research and Development
Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development
Administration, Wanju 55365,
Korea
| | - Min-Ho Song
- Division of Animal and Dairy Science,
Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134,
Korea
| | - Jong Nam Kim
- Department of Beef Science, Korean
National College of Agriculture and Fisheries,
Jeonju 54874, Korea
| | - Sangnam Oh
- Department of Functional Food and
Biotechnology, Jeonju University, Jeonju 55069,
Korea
| | - Younghoon Kim
- Department of Animal Science and Institute
of Milk Genomics, Chonbuk National University,
Jeonju 54896, Korea
| | - Young Jun Kim
- Department of Food and Biotechnology,
Korea University, Sejong 30019,
Korea
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40
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Fletcher M, Tillman EJ, Butty VL, Levine SS, Kim DH. Global transcriptional regulation of innate immunity by ATF-7 in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007830. [PMID: 30789901 PMCID: PMC6400416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a genetically tractable animal host in which to study evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of innate immune signaling. We previously showed that the PMK-1 p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway regulates innate immunity of C. elegans through phosphorylation of the CREB/ATF bZIP transcription factor, ATF-7. Here, we have undertaken a genomic analysis of the transcriptional response of C. elegans to infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, combining genome-wide expression analysis by RNA-seq with ATF-7 chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-Seq). We observe that PMK-1-ATF-7 activity regulates a majority of all genes induced by pathogen infection, and observe ATF-7 occupancy in regulatory regions of pathogen-induced genes in a PMK-1-dependent manner. Moreover, functional analysis of a subset of these ATF-7-regulated pathogen-induced target genes supports a direct role for this transcriptional response in host defense. The genome-wide regulation through PMK-1- ATF-7 signaling reveals a striking level of control over the innate immune response to infection through a single transcriptional regulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Fletcher
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Erik J. Tillman
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Vincent L. Butty
- BioMicro Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stuart S. Levine
- BioMicro Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Dennis H. Kim
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Liu Y, Kaval KG, van Hoof A, Garsin DA. Heme peroxidase HPX-2 protects Caenorhabditis elegans from pathogens. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007944. [PMID: 30695063 PMCID: PMC6368334 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Heme-containing peroxidases are important components of innate immunity. Many of them functionally associate with NADPH oxidase (NOX)/dual oxidase (DUOX) enzymes by using the hydrogen peroxide they generate in downstream reactions. Caenorhabditis elegans encodes for several heme peroxidases, and in a previous study we identified the ShkT-containing peroxidase, SKPO-1, as necessary for pathogen resistance. Here, we demonstrated that another peroxidase, HPX-2 (Heme-PeroXidase 2), is required for resistance against some, but not all pathogens. Tissue specific RNA interference (RNAi) revealed that HPX-2 functionally localizes to the hypodermis of the worm. In congruence with this observation, hpx-2 mutant animals possessed a weaker cuticle structure, indicated by higher permeability to a DNA dye, but exhibited no obvious morphological defects. In addition, fluorescent labeling of HPX-2 revealed its expression in the pharynx, an organ in which BLI-3 is also present. Interestingly, loss of HPX-2 increased intestinal colonization of E. faecalis, suggesting its role in the pharynx may limit intestinal colonization. Moreover, disruption of a catalytic residue in the peroxidase domain of HPX-2 resulted in decreased survival on E. faecalis, indicating its peroxidase activity is required for pathogen resistance. Finally, RNA-seq analysis of an hpx-2 mutant revealed changes in genes encoding for cuticle structural components under the non-pathogenic conditions. Under pathogenic conditions, genes involved in infection response were differentially regulated to a greater degree, likely due to increased microbial burden. In conclusion, the characterization of the heme-peroxidase, HPX-2, revealed that it contributes to C. elegans pathogen resistance through a role in generating cuticle material in the hypodermis and pharynx. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by the host tissues is one of the first lines of defense when microbial infection occurs. ROS has been shown to be involved in multiple protective pathways in innate immunity. However, given the complexity of mammalian systems, the exact manner in which ROS are used for host defense remains incompletely understood. In this study, we use Caenorhabditis elegans as a simplified model system to decipher the protective functions of ROS in innate immunity. We describe a peroxidase, HPX-2, that protects C. elegans from multiple infectious microbes by strengthening barrier tissue. This finding brings insight into the mechanisms by which peroxidases utilizes ROS to contribute to innate immunity. With infectious diseases being one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality around the world, understanding ROS production and its function in pathogen resistance will provide us with important information in developing new therapies against pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX, United States of America
- MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston TX, United States of America
| | - Karan Gautam Kaval
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX, United States of America
| | - Ambro van Hoof
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX, United States of America
- MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston TX, United States of America
| | - Danielle A. Garsin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX, United States of America
- MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston TX, United States of America
- The UT Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Genomics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Labed SA, Wani KA, Jagadeesan S, Hakkim A, Najibi M, Irazoqui JE. Intestinal Epithelial Wnt Signaling Mediates Acetylcholine-Triggered Host Defense against Infection. Immunity 2019; 48:963-978.e3. [PMID: 29768179 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2018.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Regulated antimicrobial peptide expression in the intestinal epithelium is key to defense against infection and to microbiota homeostasis. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate such expression is necessary for understanding immune homeostasis and inflammatory disease and for developing safe and effective therapies. We used Caenorhabditis elegans in a preclinical approach to discover mechanisms of antimicrobial gene expression control in the intestinal epithelium. We found an unexpected role for the cholinergic nervous system. Infection-induced acetylcholine release from neurons stimulated muscarinic signaling in the epithelium, driving downstream induction of Wnt expression in the same tissue. Wnt induction activated the epithelial canonical Wnt pathway, resulting in the expression of C-type lectin and lysozyme genes that enhanced host defense. Furthermore, the muscarinic and Wnt pathways are linked by conserved transcription factors. These results reveal a tight connection between the nervous system and the intestinal epithelium, with important implications for host defense, immune homeostasis, and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sid Ahmed Labed
- Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Khursheed A Wani
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Sakthimala Jagadeesan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Abdul Hakkim
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Mehran Najibi
- Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Javier Elbio Irazoqui
- Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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Sameer Kumar R, Shakambari G, Ashokkumar B, Varalakshmi P. Inhibition of advanced glycation end products formation and inflammation in C. elegans: Studies of potential of Lyngbya sp. against expression of stress related genes and Live cell imaging. BIOCATALYSIS AND AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcab.2018.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Phani V, Shivakumara TN, Davies KG, Rao U. Knockdown of a mucin-like gene in Meloidogyne incognita (Nematoda) decreases attachment of endospores of Pasteuria penetrans to the infective juveniles and reduces nematode fecundity. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2018; 19:2370-2383. [PMID: 30011135 PMCID: PMC6638177 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Mucins are highly glycosylated polypeptides involved in many host-parasite interactions, but their function in plant-parasitic nematodes is still unknown. In this study, a mucin-like gene was cloned from Meloidogyne incognita (Mi-muc-1, 1125 bp) and characterized. The protein was found to be rich in serine and threonine with numerous O-glycosylation sites in the sequence. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed the highest expression in the adult female and in situ hybridization revealed the localization of Mi-muc-1 mRNA expression in the tail area in the region of the phasmid. Knockdown of Mi-muc-1 revealed a dual role: (1) immunologically, there was a significant decrease in attachment of Pasteuria penetrans endospores and a reduction in binding assays with human red blood cells (RBCs), suggesting that Mi-MUC-1 is a glycoprotein present on the surface coat of infective second-stage juveniles (J2s) and is involved in cellular adhesion to the cuticle of infective J2s; pretreatment of J2s with different carbohydrates indicated that the RBCs bind to J2 cuticle receptors different from those involved in the interaction of Pasteuria endospores with Mi-MUC-1; (2) the long-term effect of RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of Mi-muc-1 led to a significant reduction in nematode fecundity, suggesting a possible function for this mucin as a mediator in the interaction between the nematode and the host plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Phani
- Division of NematologyICAR‐Indian Agricultural Research InstituteNew Delhi110012India
| | | | - Keith G Davies
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HertfordshireHatfieldAL10 9ABUnited Kingdom
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchÅs115, 1431Norway
| | - Uma Rao
- Division of NematologyICAR‐Indian Agricultural Research InstituteNew Delhi110012India
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45
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Khan F, Jain S, Oloketuyi SF. Bacteria and bacterial products: Foe and friends to Caenorhabditis elegans. Microbiol Res 2018; 215:102-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2018.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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46
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Zhou M, Liu X, Yu H, Yin X, Nie SP, Xie MY, Chen W, Gong J. Cell Signaling of Caenorhabditis elegans in Response to Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Infection and Lactobacillus zeae Protection. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1745. [PMID: 30250464 PMCID: PMC6139356 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection causes the death of Caenorhabditis elegans, which can be prevented by certain Lactobacillus isolates. The host response of C. elegans to ETEC infection and its regulation by the isolates are, however, largely unclear. This study has revealed that, in agreement with the results of life-span assays, the expression of the genes encoding p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway (nsy-1, sek-1, and pmk-1), insulin/insulin-like growth factor (DAF/IGF) pathway (daf-16), or antimicrobial peptides (lys-7, spp-1, and abf-3) and other defensing molecules (abf-2, clec-85) was upregulated significantly when the wild-type nematode (N2) was subjected to ETEC infection. This upregulation was further enhanced by the pretreatment with Lactobacillus zeae LB1, but not with L. casei CL11. Mutants defective in the cell signaling of C. elegans were either more susceptible (defective in NSY-1, SEK-1, PMK-1, or DAF16) or more resistant (defective in AGE-1, DBL-1, SKN-1, or SOD-3) to ETEC infection compared with the wild-type. Mutants defective in antimicrobial peptides (LYS-7, SPP1, or ABF-3) were also more susceptible. In addition, mutants that are defective in NSY-1, SEK-1, PMK-1, DAF16, ABF-3, LYS-7, or SPP1 showed no response to the protection from L. zeae LB1. The expression of the genes encoding antimicrobial peptides (lys-7, spp-1, and abf-3) and other defensing molecules (abf-2, clec-60, and clec-85) were almost all upregulated in AGE-1- or DBL-1-defective mutant compared with the wild-type, which was further enhanced by the pretreatment of L. zeae LB1. The expression of these genes was, however, mostly downregulated in NSY-1- or DAF-16-defective mutant. These results suggest that L. zeae LB1 regulates C. elegans signaling through the p38 MAPK and DAF/IGF pathways to control the production of antimicrobial peptides and defensing molecules to combat ETEC infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhou Zhou
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China.,Guelph Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada.,State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology/International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Xiaozhen Liu
- Guelph Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada.,State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Hai Yu
- Guelph Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Xianhua Yin
- Guelph Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Shao-Ping Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ming-Yong Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Wei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology/International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Joshua Gong
- Guelph Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
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47
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White CV, Herman MA. Transcriptomic, Functional, and Network Analyses Reveal Novel Genes Involved in the Interaction Between Caenorhabditis elegans and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:266. [PMID: 30177956 PMCID: PMC6109753 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterivorous nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an excellent model for the study of innate immune responses to a variety of bacterial pathogens, including the emerging nosocomial bacterial pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The study of this interaction has ecological and medical relevance as S. maltophilia is found in association with C. elegans and other nematodes in the wild and is an emerging opportunistic bacterial pathogen. We identified 393 genes that were differentially expressed when exposed to virulent and avirulent strains of S. maltophilia and an avirulent strain of E. coli. We then used a probabilistic functional gene network model (WormNet) to determine that 118 of the 393 differentially expressed genes formed an interacting network and identified a set of highly connected genes with eight or more predicted interactions. We hypothesized that these highly connected genes might play an important role in the defense against S. maltophila and found that mutations of six of seven highly connected genes have a significant effect on nematode survival in response to these bacteria. Of these genes, C48B4.1, mpk-2, cpr-4, clec-67, and lys-6 are needed for combating the virulent S. maltophilia JCMS strain, while dod-22 was solely involved in response to the avirulent S. maltophilia K279a strain. We further found that dod-22 and clec-67 were up regulated in response to JCMS vs. K279a, while C48B4.1, mpk-2, cpr-4, and lys-6 were down regulated. Only dod-22 had a documented role in innate immunity, which demonstrates the merit of our approach in the identification of novel genes that are involved in combating S. maltophilia infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corin V White
- Ecological Genomics Institute, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Michael A Herman
- Ecological Genomics Institute, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
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48
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Expression of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora C-type lectins, Hb-clec-1 and Hb-clec-78, in context of symbiosis with Photorhabdus bacteria. Symbiosis 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-018-0569-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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49
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Sakthivel D, Swan J, Preston S, Shakif-Azam MD, Faou P, Jiao Y, Downs R, Rajapaksha H, Gasser R, Piedrafita D, Beddoe T. Proteomic identification of galectin-11 and 14 ligands from Haemonchus contortus. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4510. [PMID: 29576976 PMCID: PMC5863708 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Haemonchus contortus is the most pathogenic nematode of small ruminants. Infection in sheep and goats results in anaemia that decreases animal productivity and can ultimately cause death. The involvement of ruminant-specific galectin-11 (LGALS-11) and galectin-14 (LGALS-14) has been postulated to play important roles in protective immune responses against parasitic infection; however, their ligands are unknown. In the current study, LGALS-11 and LGALS-14 ligands in H. contortus were identified from larval (L4) and adult parasitic stages extracts using immobilised LGALS-11 and LGALS-14 affinity column chromatography and mass spectrometry. Both LGALS-11 and LGALS-14 bound more putative protein targets in the adult stage of H. contortus (43 proteins) when compared to the larval stage (two proteins). Of the 43 proteins identified in the adult stage, 34 and 35 proteins were bound by LGALS-11 and LGALS-14, respectively, with 26 proteins binding to both galectins. Interestingly, hematophagous stage-specific sperm-coating protein and zinc metalloprotease (M13), which are known vaccine candidates, were identified as putative ligands of both LGALS-11 and LGALS-14. The identification of glycoproteins of H. contortus by LGALS-11 and LGALS-14 provide new insights into host-parasite interactions and the potential for developing new interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhanasekaran Sakthivel
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science and Centre for AgriBioscience (AgriBio), La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,School of Applied and Biomedical Sciences, Federation University, Churchill, Australia
| | - Jaclyn Swan
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science and Centre for AgriBioscience (AgriBio), La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Preston
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Faculty of Science and Technology, Federation University, Ballarat, Australia
| | - M D Shakif-Azam
- School of Applied and Biomedical Sciences, Federation University, Churchill, Australia
| | - Pierre Faou
- Department of Biochemistry & Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Yaqing Jiao
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rachael Downs
- Department of Biochemistry & Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Harinda Rajapaksha
- Department of Biochemistry & Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Robin Gasser
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - David Piedrafita
- School of Applied and Biomedical Sciences, Federation University, Churchill, Australia
| | - Travis Beddoe
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Science and Centre for AgriBioscience (AgriBio), La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
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50
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GIBSON AMANDAK, MORRAN LEVIT. A Model for Evolutionary Ecology of Disease: The Case for Caenorhabditis Nematodes and Their Natural Parasites. J Nematol 2018. [DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2017-083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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