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Kingsley SF, Seo Y, Wood A, Wani KA, Gonzalez X, Irazoqui J, Finkel SE, Tissenbaum HA. Glucose-fed microbiota alters C. elegans intestinal epithelium and increases susceptibility to multiple bacterial pathogens. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13177. [PMID: 38849503 PMCID: PMC11161463 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63514-w] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Overconsumption of dietary sugar can lead to many negative health effects including the development of Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disorders. Recently, the human intestinal microbiota, strongly associated with our overall health, has also been known to be affected by diet. However, mechanistic insight into the importance of the human intestinal microbiota and the effects of chronic sugar ingestion has not been possible largely due to the complexity of the human microbiome which contains hundreds of types of organisms. Here, we use an interspecies C. elegans/E. coli system, where E. coli are subjected to high sugar, then consumed by the bacterivore host C. elegans to become the microbiota. This glucose-fed microbiota results in a significant lifespan reduction accompanied by reduced healthspan (locomotion), reduced stress resistance, and changes in behavior and feeding. Lifespan reduction is also accompanied by two potential major contributors: increased intestinal bacterial density and increased concentration of reactive oxygen species. The glucose-fed microbiota accelerated the age-related development of intestinal cell permeability, intestinal distention, and dysregulation of immune effectors. Ultimately, the changes in the intestinal epithelium due to aging with the glucose-fed microbiota results in increased susceptibility to multiple bacterial pathogens. Taken together, our data reveal that chronic ingestion of sugar, such as a Western diet, has profound health effects on the host due to changes in the microbiota and may contribute to the current increased incidence of ailments including inflammatory bowel diseases as well as multiple age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel F Kingsley
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Yonghak Seo
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Alicia Wood
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Khursheed A Wani
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Xavier Gonzalez
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Javier Irazoqui
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Steven E Finkel
- Molecular and Computational Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-2910, USA
| | - Heidi A Tissenbaum
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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2
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Pees B, Peters L, Treitz C, Hamerich IK, Kissoyan KAB, Tholey A, Dierking K. The Caenorhabditis elegans proteome response to two protective Pseudomonas symbionts. mBio 2024; 15:e0346323. [PMID: 38411078 PMCID: PMC11005407 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03463-23] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans natural microbiota isolates Pseudomonas lurida MYb11 and Pseudomonas fluorescens MYb115 protect the host against pathogens through distinct mechanisms. While P. lurida produces an antimicrobial compound and directly inhibits pathogen growth, P. fluorescens MYb115 protects the host without affecting pathogen growth. It is unknown how these two protective microbes affect host biological processes. We used a proteomics approach to elucidate the C. elegans response to MYb11 and MYb115. We found that both Pseudomonas isolates increase vitellogenin protein production in young adults, which confirms previous findings on the effect of microbiota on C. elegans reproductive timing. Moreover, the C. elegans responses to MYb11 and MYb115 exhibit common signatures with the response to other vitamin B12-producing bacteria, emphasizing the importance of vitamin B12 in C. elegans-microbe metabolic interactions. We further analyzed signatures in the C. elegans response specific to MYb11 or MYb115. We provide evidence for distinct modifications in lipid metabolism by both symbiotic microbes. We could identify the activation of host-pathogen defense responses as an MYb11-specific proteome signature and provide evidence that the intermediate filament protein IFB-2 is required for MYb115-mediated protection. These results indicate that MYb11 not only produces an antimicrobial compound but also activates host antimicrobial defenses, which together might increase resistance to infection. In contrast, MYb115 affects host processes such as lipid metabolism and cytoskeleton dynamics, which might increase host tolerance to infection. Overall, this study pinpoints proteins of interest that form the basis for additional exploration into the mechanisms underlying C. elegans microbiota-mediated protection from pathogen infection and other microbiota-mediated traits.IMPORTANCESymbiotic bacteria can defend their host against pathogen infection. While some protective symbionts directly interact with pathogenic bacteria, other protective symbionts elicit a response in the host that improves its own pathogen defenses. To better understand how a host responds to protective symbionts, we examined which host proteins are affected by two protective Pseudomonas bacteria in the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that the C. elegans response to its protective symbionts is manifold, which was reflected in changes in proteins that are involved in metabolism, the immune system, and cell structure. This study provides a foundation for exploring the contribution of the host response to symbiont-mediated protection from pathogen infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Pees
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lena Peters
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christian Treitz
- Systematic Proteome Research and Bioanalytics, Institute for Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Inga K. Hamerich
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Kohar A. B. Kissoyan
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Andreas Tholey
- Systematic Proteome Research and Bioanalytics, Institute for Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Katja Dierking
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany
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3
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Tse-Kang S, Wani KA, Peterson ND, Page A, Pukkila-Worley R. Activation of intestinal immunity by pathogen effector-triggered aggregation of lysosomal TIR-1/SARM1. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.04.569946. [PMID: 38106043 PMCID: PMC10723332 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.04.569946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
TIR-domain proteins with enzymatic activity are essential for immunity in plants, animals, and bacteria. However, it is not known how these proteins function in pathogen sensing in animals. We discovered that a TIR-domain protein (TIR-1/SARM1) is strategically expressed on the membranes of a lysosomal sub-compartment, which enables intestinal epithelial cells in the nematode C. elegans to survey for pathogen effector-triggered host damage. We showed that a redox active virulence effector secreted by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa alkalinized and condensed a specific subset of lysosomes by inducing intracellular oxidative stress. Concentration of TIR-1/SARM1 on the surface of these organelles triggered its multimerization, which engages its intrinsic NADase activity, to activate the p38 innate immune pathway and protect the host against microbial intoxication. Thus, lysosomal TIR-1/SARM1 is a sensor for oxidative stress induced by pathogenic bacteria to activate metazoan intestinal immunity.
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4
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Meccariello R, Bellenchi GC, Pulcrano S, D’Addario SL, Tafuri D, Mercuri NB, Guatteo E. Neuronal dysfunction and gene modulation by non-coding RNA in Parkinson's disease and synucleinopathies. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1328269. [PMID: 38249528 PMCID: PMC10796818 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1328269] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the last few decades, emerging evidence suggests that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) including long-non-coding RNA (lncRNA), microRNA (miRNA) and circular-RNA (circRNA) contribute to the molecular events underlying progressive neuronal degeneration, and a plethora of ncRNAs have been identified significantly misregulated in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and synucleinopathy. Although a direct link between neuropathology and causative candidates has not been clearly established in many cases, the contribution of ncRNAs to the molecular processes leading to cellular dysfunction observed in neurodegenerative diseases has been addressed, suggesting that they may play a role in the pathophysiology of these diseases. Aim of the present Review is to overview and discuss recent literature focused on the role of RNA-based mechanisms involved in different aspects of neuronal pathology in Parkinson's disease and synucleinopathy models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosaria Meccariello
- Department of Medical and Movement Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Gian Carlo Bellenchi
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR, Naples, Italy
- Experimental Neurology Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Sebastian Luca D’Addario
- Experimental Neurology Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Computational and Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, CNR, Rome, Italy
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, United States
| | - Domenico Tafuri
- Department of Medical and Movement Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Nicola B. Mercuri
- Experimental Neurology Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, United States
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Ezia Guatteo
- Department of Medical and Movement Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy
- Experimental Neurology Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, United States
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5
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Madhu B, Lakdawala MF, Gumienny TL. The DBL-1/TGF-β signaling pathway tailors behavioral and molecular host responses to a variety of bacteria in Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife 2023; 12:e75831. [PMID: 37750680 PMCID: PMC10567113 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75831] [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: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Generating specific, robust protective responses to different bacteria is vital for animal survival. Here, we address the role of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) member DBL-1 in regulating signature host defense responses in Caenorhabditis elegans to human opportunistic Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens. Canonical DBL-1 signaling is required to suppress avoidance behavior in response to Gram-negative, but not Gram-positive bacteria. We propose that in the absence of DBL-1, animals perceive some bacteria as more harmful. Animals activate DBL-1 pathway activity in response to Gram-negative bacteria and strongly repress it in response to select Gram-positive bacteria, demonstrating bacteria-responsive regulation of DBL-1 signaling. DBL-1 signaling differentially regulates expression of target innate immunity genes depending on the bacterial exposure. These findings highlight a central role for TGF-β in tailoring a suite of bacteria-specific host defenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhoomi Madhu
- Department of Biology, Texas Woman’s UniversityDentonUnited States
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Mohammed Farhan Lakdawala
- Department of Biology, Texas Woman’s UniversityDentonUnited States
- AbbVie (United States)WorcesterUnited States
| | - Tina L Gumienny
- Department of Biology, Texas Woman’s UniversityDentonUnited States
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6
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Lažetić V, Blanchard MJ, Bui T, Troemel ER. Multiple pals gene modules control a balance between immunity and development in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011120. [PMID: 37463170 PMCID: PMC10353827 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune system continually battles against pathogen-induced pressures, which often leads to the evolutionary expansion of immune gene families in a species-specific manner. For example, the pals gene family expanded to 39 members in the Caenorhabditis elegans genome, in comparison to a single mammalian pals ortholog. Our previous studies have revealed that two members of this family, pals-22 and pals-25, act as antagonistic paralogs to control the Intracellular Pathogen Response (IPR). The IPR is a protective transcriptional response, which is activated upon infection by two molecularly distinct natural intracellular pathogens of C. elegans-the Orsay virus and the fungus Nematocida parisii from the microsporidia phylum. In this study, we identify a previously uncharacterized member of the pals family, pals-17, as a newly described negative regulator of the IPR. pals-17 mutants show constitutive upregulation of IPR gene expression, increased immunity against intracellular pathogens, as well as impaired development and reproduction. We also find that two other previously uncharacterized pals genes, pals-20 and pals-16, are positive regulators of the IPR, acting downstream of pals-17. These positive regulators reverse the effects caused by the loss of pals-17 on IPR gene expression, immunity, and development. We show that the negative IPR regulator protein PALS-17 and the positive IPR regulator protein PALS-20 colocalize inside and at the apical side of intestinal epithelial cells, which are the sites of infection for IPR-inducing pathogens. In summary, our study demonstrates that several pals genes from the expanded pals gene family act as ON/OFF switch modules to regulate a balance between organismal development and immunity against natural intracellular pathogens in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Lažetić
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Blanchard
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Theresa Bui
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Emily R. Troemel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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7
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Peterson ND, Tse SY, Huang QJ, Wani KA, Schiffer CA, Pukkila-Worley R. Non-canonical pattern recognition of a pathogen-derived metabolite by a nuclear hormone receptor identifies virulent bacteria in C. elegans. Immunity 2023; 56:768-782.e9. [PMID: 36804958 PMCID: PMC10101930 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Distinguishing infectious pathogens from harmless microorganisms is essential for animal health. The mechanisms used to identify infectious microbes are not fully understood, particularly in metazoan hosts that eat bacteria as their food source. Here, we characterized a non-canonical pattern-recognition system in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) that assesses the relative threat of virulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) to activate innate immunity. We discovered that the innate immune response in C. elegans was triggered by phenazine-1-carboxamide (PCN), a toxic metabolite produced by pathogenic strains of P. aeruginosa. We identified the nuclear hormone receptor NHR-86/HNF4 as the PCN sensor in C. elegans and validated that PCN bound to the ligand-binding domain of NHR-86/HNF4. Activation of NHR-86/HNF4 by PCN directly engaged a transcriptional program in intestinal epithelial cells that protected against P. aeruginosa. Thus, a bacterial metabolite is a pattern of pathogenesis surveilled by nematodes to identify a pathogen in its bacterial diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D Peterson
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Samantha Y Tse
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Qiuyu Judy Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Khursheed A Wani
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Celia A Schiffer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Read Pukkila-Worley
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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8
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Sun Z, Qin J, Yuan H, Guo M, Shang M, Niu S, Li Y, Li Q, Xue Y. Recombinant human metallothionein-III alleviates oxidative damage induced by copper and cadmium in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Appl Toxicol 2023. [PMID: 36918407 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4460] [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: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant human metallothionein III (rh-MT-III) is a genetically engineered product produced by Escherichia coli fermentation technology. Its molecules contain abundant reducing sulfhydryl groups, which possess the ability to bind heavy metal ions. The present study was to evaluate the binding effects of rh-MT-III against copper and cadmium in vitro and to investigate the antioxidant activity of rh-MT-III using Caenorhabditis elegans in vivo. For in vitro experiments, the binding rates of copper and cadmium were 91.4% and 97.3% for rh-MT-III at a dosage of 200 μg/mL at 10 h, respectively. For in vivo assays, the oxidative stress induced by copper (CuSO4 , 10 μg/mL) and cadmium (CdCl2 , 10 μg/mL) was significantly reduced after 72 h of exposure to different doses of rh-MT-III (5-500 μg/mL), indicated by restoring locomotion behavior and growth, and reducing malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species levels in C. elegans. Moreover, rh-MT-III decreased the deposition of lipofuscin and fat content, which could delay the progression of aging. In addition, rh-MT-III (500 μg/mL) promoted the up-regulation of Mtl-1 and Mtl-2 gene expression in C. elegans, which could enhance the resistance to oxidative stress by increasing the enzymatic activity of antioxidant defense system and scavenging free radicals. The results indicated that supplemental rh-MT-III could effectively protect C. elegans from heavy metal stress, providing an experimental basis for the future application and development of rh-MT-III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuoyi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianxin Qin
- Suzhou Hvha Medical Technology Development Co., Ltd., Changshu, China
| | - Hailiang Yuan
- Suzhou Hvha Medical Technology Development Co., Ltd., Changshu, China
| | - Menghao Guo
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mengting Shang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuyan Niu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunjing Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Changshu Municipal Market Supervision Administration, Changshu, China
| | - Yuying Xue
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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9
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Borbolis F, Ranti D, Papadopoulou MD, Dimopoulou S, Malatras A, Michalopoulos I, Syntichaki P. Selective Destabilization of Transcripts by mRNA Decapping Regulates Oocyte Maturation and Innate Immunity Gene Expression during Ageing in C. elegans. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020171. [PMID: 36829450 PMCID: PMC9952881 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Removal of the 5' cap structure of RNAs (termed decapping) is a pivotal event in the life of cytoplasmic mRNAs mainly catalyzed by a conserved holoenzyme, composed of the catalytic subunit DCP2 and its essential cofactor DCP1. While decapping was initially considered merely a step in the general 5'-3' mRNA decay, recent data suggest a great degree of selectivity that plays an active role in the post-transcriptional control of gene expression, and regulates multiple biological functions. Studies in Caenorhabditis elegans have shown that old age is accompanied by the accumulation of decapping factors in cytoplasmic RNA granules, and loss of decapping activity shortens the lifespan. However, the link between decapping and ageing remains elusive. Here, we present a comparative microarray study that was aimed to uncover the differences in the transcriptome of mid-aged dcap-1/DCP1 mutant and wild-type nematodes. Our data indicate that DCAP-1 mediates the silencing of spermatogenic genes during late oogenesis, and suppresses the aberrant uprise of immunity gene expression during ageing. The latter is achieved by destabilizing the mRNA that encodes the transcription factor PQM-1 and impairing its nuclear translocation. Failure to exert decapping-mediated control on PQM-1 has a negative impact on the lifespan, but mitigates the toxic effects of polyglutamine expression that are involved in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fivos Borbolis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitra Ranti
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Sofia Dimopoulou
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Apostolos Malatras
- Center of Systems Biology, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Michalopoulos
- Center of Systems Biology, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence: (I.M.); (P.S.); Tel.: +30-21-0659-7127 (I.M.); +30-21-0659-7474 (P.S.)
| | - Popi Syntichaki
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence: (I.M.); (P.S.); Tel.: +30-21-0659-7127 (I.M.); +30-21-0659-7474 (P.S.)
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10
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Lažetić V, Blanchard MJ, Bui T, Troemel ER. Multiple pals gene modules control a balance between immunity and development in Caenorhabditis elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.15.524171. [PMID: 36711775 PMCID: PMC9882112 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.15.524171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The immune system continually battles against pathogen-induced pressures, which often leads to the evolutionary expansion of immune gene families in a species-specific manner. For example, the pals gene family expanded to 39 members in the Caenorhabditis elegans genome, in comparison to a single mammalian pals ortholog. Our previous studies have revealed that two members of this family, pals-22 and pals-25 , act as antagonistic paralogs to control the Intracellular Pathogen Response (IPR). The IPR is a protective transcriptional response, which is activated upon infection by two molecularly distinct natural intracellular pathogens of C. elegans - the Orsay virus and the fungus Nematocida parisii from the microsporidia phylum. In this study, we identify a previously uncharacterized member of the pals family, pals-17 , as a newly described negative regulator of the IPR. pals-17 mutants show constitutive upregulation of IPR gene expression, increased immunity against intracellular pathogens, as well as impaired development and reproduction. We also find that two other previously uncharacterized pals genes, pals-20 and pals-16 , are positive regulators of the IPR, acting downstream of pals-17 . These positive regulators reverse the effects caused by the loss of pals-17 on IPR gene expression, immunity and development. We show that the negative IPR regulator protein PALS-17 and the positive IPR regulator protein PALS-20 colocalize inside intestinal epithelial cells, which are the sites of infection for IPR-inducing pathogens. In summary, our study demonstrates that several pals genes from the expanded pals gene family act as ON/OFF switch modules to regulate a balance between organismal development and immunity against natural intracellular pathogens in C. elegans . AUTHOR SUMMARY Immune responses to pathogens induce extensive rewiring of host physiology. In the short term, these changes are generally beneficial as they can promote resistance against infection. However, prolonged activation of immune responses can have serious negative consequences on host health, including impaired organismal development and fitness. Therefore, the balance between activating the immune system and promoting development must be precisely regulated. In this study, we used genetics to identify a gene in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans called pals-17 that acts as a repressor of the Intracellular Pathogen Response (IPR), a defense response against viral and microsporidian infections. We also found that pals-17 is required for the normal development of these animals. Furthermore, we identified two other pals genes, pals-20 and pals-16 , as suppressors of pals-17 mutant phenotypes. Finally, we found that PALS-17 and PALS-20 proteins colocalize inside intestinal cells, where viruses and microsporidia invade and replicate in the host. Taken together, our study demonstrates a balance between organismal development and immunity that is regulated by several genetic ON/OFF switch 'modules' in C. elegans .
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Lažetić
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Michael J. Blanchard
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Theresa Bui
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Emily R. Troemel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States,Corresponding author
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11
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Malinow RA, Zhu M, Jin Y, Kim KW. Forward genetic screening identifies novel roles for N-terminal acetyltransferase C and histone deacetylase in C. elegans development. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16438. [PMID: 36180459 PMCID: PMC9525577 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20361-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Coordinating the balance between development and stress responses is critical for organismal survival. However, the cellular signaling controlling this mechanism is not well understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, it has been hypothesized that a genetic network regulated by NIPI-3/Tibbles may control the balance between animal development and immune response. Using a nipi-3(0) lethality suppressor screen in C. elegans, we reveal a novel role for N-terminal acetyltransferase C complex natc-1/2/3 and histone deacetylase hda-4, in the control of animal development. These signaling proteins act, at least in part, through a PMK-1 p38 MAP kinase pathway (TIR-1-NSY-1-SEK-1-PMK-1), which plays a critical role in the innate immunity against infection. Additionally, using a transcriptional reporter of SEK-1, a signaling molecule within this p38 MAP kinase system that acts directly downstream of C/EBP bZip transcription factor CEBP-1, we find unexpected positive control of sek-1 transcription by SEK-1 along with several other p38 MAP kinase pathway components. Together, these data demonstrate a role for NIPI-3 regulators in animal development, operating, at least in part through a PMK-1 p38 MAPK pathway. Because the C. elegans p38 MAP kinase pathway is well known for its role in cellular stress responses, the novel biological components and mechanisms pertaining to development identified here may also contribute to the balance between stress response and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Aria Malinow
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ming Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Yishi Jin
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Kyung Won Kim
- Department of Life Science, Hallym University, Chuncheon, 24252, South Korea.
- Multidisciplinary Genome Institute, Hallym University, Chuncheon, 24252, South Korea.
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12
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Dorostgou Z, Yadegar N, Dorostgou Z, Khorvash F, Vakili O. Novel insights into the role of circular RNAs in Parkinson disease: An emerging renaissance in the management of neurodegenerative diseases. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:1775-1790. [PMID: 35642104 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD), as a debilitating neurodegenerative disease, particularly affects the elderly population, and is clinically identified by resting tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Pathophysiologically, PD is characterized by an early loss of dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia nigra pars compacta, accompanied by the extensive aggregation of alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) in the form of Lewy bodies. The onset of PD has been reported to be influenced by multiple biological molecules. In this context, circular RNAs (circRNAs), as tissue-specific noncoding RNAs with closed structures, have been recently demonstrated to involve in a set of PD's pathogenic processes. These RNA molecules can either up- or downregulate the expression of α-Syn, as well as moderating its accumulation through different regulatory mechanisms, in which targeting microRNAs (miRNAs) is considered the most common pathway. Since circRNAs have prominent structural and biological characteristics, they could also be considered as promising candidates for PD diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, PD has become a global health concern, and a large number of its pathogenic processes are still unclear; thus, it is crucial to elucidate the ambiguous aspects of PD pathophysiology to improve the efficiency of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. In line with this fact, the current review aims to highlight the interplay between circRNAs and PD pathogenesis, and then discusses the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of circRNAs in PD progression. This study will thus be the first of its kind reviewing the relationship between circRNAs and PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Dorostgou
- Department of Biochemistry, Neyshabur Branch, Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Negar Yadegar
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Zeynab Dorostgou
- Department of Biology, Kavian Institute of Higher Education, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Fariborz Khorvash
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Al-zahra Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Omid Vakili
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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13
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Yoo YJ, Chung IY, Jalde SS, Choi HK, Cho YH. An iron-chelating sulfonamide identified from Drosophila-based screening for antipathogenic discovery. Virulence 2022; 13:833-843. [PMID: 35521696 PMCID: PMC9090290 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2069325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We exploited bacterial infection assays using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to identify anti-infective compounds that abrogate the pathological consequences in the infected hosts. Here, we demonstrated that a pyridine-3-N-sulfonylpiperidine derivative (4a) protects Drosophila from the acute infections caused by bacterial pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 4a did not inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosa in vitro, but inhibited the production of secreted toxins such as pyocyanin and hydrogen cyanide, while enhancing the production of pyoverdine and pyochelin, indicative of iron deprivation. Based on its catechol moiety, 4a displayed iron-chelating activity in vitro toward both iron (II) and iron (III), more efficiently than the approved iron-chelating drugs such as deferoxamine and deferiprone, concomitant with more potent antibacterial efficacy in Drosophila infections and unique transcriptome profile. Taken together, these results delineate a Drosophila-based strategy to screen for antipathogenic compounds, which interfere with iron uptake crucial for bacterial virulence and survival in host tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeon-Ji Yoo
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea
| | - In-Young Chung
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea
| | | | | | - You-Hee Cho
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea
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14
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Tjahjono E, Revtovich AV, Kirienko NV. Box C/D small nucleolar ribonucleoproteins regulate mitochondrial surveillance and innate immunity. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010103. [PMID: 35275914 PMCID: PMC8942280 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring mitochondrial function is crucial for organismal survival. This task is performed by mitochondrial surveillance or quality control pathways, which are activated by signals originating from mitochondria and relayed to the nucleus (retrograde response) to start transcription of protective genes. In Caenorhabditis elegans, several systems are known to play this role, including the UPRmt, MAPKmt, and the ESRE pathways. These pathways are highly conserved and their loss compromises survival following mitochondrial stress. In this study, we found a novel interaction between the box C/D snoRNA core proteins (snoRNPs) and mitochondrial surveillance and innate immune pathways. We showed that box C/D, but not box H/ACA, snoRNPs are required for the full function of UPRmt and ESRE upon stress. The loss of box C/D snoRNPs reduced mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial membrane potential, and oxygen consumption rate, indicating overall degradation of mitochondrial function. Concomitantly, the loss of C/D snoRNPs increased immune response and reduced host intestinal colonization by infectious bacteria, improving host resistance to pathogenesis. Our data may indicate a model wherein box C/D snoRNP machinery regulates a "switch" of the cell's activity between mitochondrial surveillance and innate immune activation. Understanding this mechanism is likely to be important for understanding multifactorial processes, including responses to infection and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa Tjahjono
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alexey V. Revtovich
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Natalia V. Kirienko
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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15
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Mitochondria-affecting small molecules ameliorate proteostasis defects associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17733. [PMID: 34489512 PMCID: PMC8421394 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97148-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Macroautophagic recycling of dysfunctional mitochondria, known as mitophagy, is essential for mitochondrial homeostasis and cell viability. Accumulation of defective mitochondria and impaired mitophagy have been widely implicated in many neurodegenerative diseases, and loss-of-function mutations of PINK1 and Parkin, two key regulators of mitophagy, are amongst the most common causes of heritable parkinsonism. This has led to the hypothesis that pharmacological stimulation of mitophagy may be a feasible approach to combat neurodegeneration. Toward this end, we screened ~ 45,000 small molecules using a high-throughput, whole-organism, phenotypic screen that monitored accumulation of PINK-1 protein, a key event in mitophagic activation, in a Caenorhabditis elegans strain carrying a Ppink-1::PINK-1::GFP reporter. We obtained eight hits that increased mitochondrial fragmentation and autophagosome formation. Several of the compounds also reduced ATP production, oxygen consumption, mitochondrial mass, and/or mitochondrial membrane potential. Importantly, we found that treatment with two compounds, which we named PS83 and PS106 (more commonly known as sertraline) reduced neurodegenerative disease phenotypes, including delaying paralysis in a C. elegans β-amyloid aggregation model in a PINK-1-dependent manner. This report presents a promising step toward the identification of compounds that will stimulate mitochondrial turnover.
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16
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Wang X, Kleerekoper Q, Revtovich AV, Kang D, Kirienko NV. Identification and validation of a novel anti-virulent that binds to pyoverdine and inhibits its function. Virulence 2021; 11:1293-1309. [PMID: 32962519 PMCID: PMC7549923 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1819144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa: causes serious infections in patients with compromised immune systems and exhibits resistance to multiple antibiotics. The rising threat of antimicrobial resistance means that new methods are necessary for treating microbial infections. We conducted a high-throughput screen for compounds that can quench the innate fluorescence of the chromophore region of the P. aeruginosa siderophore pyoverdine, a key virulence factor. Several hits were identified that effectively quench pyoverdine fluorescence, and two compounds considerably improved the survival of Caenorhabditis elegans when worms were challenged with P. aeruginosa. Commercially available analogs of the best hit, PQ3, were tested for their ability to rescue C. elegans from P. aeruginosa and to interact with pyoverdine via fluorescence and solution NMR spectroscopy. 1H-15N and 1H-13C HSQC NMR were used to identify the binding site of PQ3c. The structure model of pyoverdine in complex with PQ3c was obtained using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. PQ3c occupied a shallow groove on pyoverdine formed by the chromophore and N-terminal residues of the peptide chain. Electrostatic interactions and π-orbital stacking drove stabilization of this binding. PQ3c may serve as a scaffold for the development of pyoverdine inhibitors with higher potency and specificity. The discovery of a small-molecule binding site on apo-pyoverdine with functional significance provides a new direction in the search of therapeutically effective reagent to treat P. aeruginosa infections. Abbreviations: NMR: nuclear magnetic resonance; SAR: structure-activity relationship; MD: molecular dynamics; RMSF: root-mean-square fluctuation; HSQC: heteronuclear single quantum correlation; DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide; Δδavg: average amide chemical shift change; DSS: 2,2-dimethyl-2-silapentane-5-sulfonate; RMSD: root-mean-square deviation; LJ-SR: Lennard-Jones short-range; Coul-SR: Coulombic short-range; FRET: fluorescence resonance energy transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Wang
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University , Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Donghoon Kang
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University , Houston, TX, USA
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17
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Du F, Sun W, Morisseau C, Hammock BD, Bao X, Liu Q, Wang C, Zhang T, Yang H, Zhou J, Xiao W, Liu Z, Chen G. Discovery of memantyl urea derivatives as potent soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitors against lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 223:113678. [PMID: 34218083 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response, caused by pathogenic factors including microorganisms, has high mortality and limited therapeutic approaches. Herein, a new soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitor series comprising a phenyl ring connected to a memantyl moiety via a urea or amide linkage has been designed. A preferential urea pharmacophore that improved the binding properties of the compounds was identified for those series via biochemical assay in vitro and in vivo studies. Molecular docking displayed that 3,5-dimethyl on the adamantyl group in B401 could make van der Waals interactions with residues at a hydrophobic pocket of sEH active site, which might indirectly explain the subnanomolar level activities of memantyl urea derivatives in vitro better than AR-9281. Among them, compound B401 significantly improved the inhibition potency with human and murine sEH IC50 values as 0.4 nM and 0.5 nM, respectively. Although the median survival time of C57BL/6 mice in LPS-induced sepsis model was slightly increased, the survival rate did not reach significant efficacy. Based on safety profile, metabolic stability, pharmacokinetic and in vivo efficacy, B401 demonstrated the proof of potential for this class of memantyl urea-based sEH inhibitors as therapeutic agents in sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyu Du
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China
| | - Wenjiao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China
| | - Christophe Morisseau
- Department of Entomology and Nematology and UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Bruce D Hammock
- Department of Entomology and Nematology and UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Xuefei Bao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Jiangning Industrial City, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222001, China
| | - Qiu Liu
- Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Jiangning Industrial City, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222001, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Jiangning Industrial City, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222001, China
| | - Tan Zhang
- Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Jiangning Industrial City, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222001, China
| | - Hao Yang
- Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Jiangning Industrial City, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222001, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Jiangning Industrial City, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222001, China
| | - Wei Xiao
- Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Jiangning Industrial City, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222001, China.
| | - Zhongbo Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China.
| | - Guoliang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China.
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18
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Revtovich AV, Tjahjono E, Singh KV, Hanson BM, Murray BE, Kirienko NV. Development and Characterization of High-Throughput Caenorhabditis elegans - Enterococcus faecium Infection Model. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:667327. [PMID: 33996637 PMCID: PMC8116795 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.667327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Enterococcus includes two Gram-positive pathogens of particular clinical relevance: E. faecalis and E. faecium. Infections with each of these pathogens are becoming more frequent, particularly in the case of hospital-acquired infections. Like most other bacterial species of clinical importance, antimicrobial resistance (and, specifically, multi-drug resistance) is an increasing threat, with both species considered to be of particular importance by the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control. The threat of antimicrobial resistance is exacerbated by the staggering difference in the speeds of development for the discovery and development of the antimicrobials versus resistance mechanisms. In the search for alternative strategies, modulation of host-pathogen interactions in general, and virulence inhibition in particular, have drawn substantial attention. Unfortunately, these approaches require a fairly comprehensive understanding of virulence determinants. This requirement is complicated by the fact that enterococcal infection models generally require vertebrates, making them slow, expensive, and ethically problematic, particularly when considering the thousands of animals that would be needed for the early stages of experimentation. To address this problem, we developed the first high-throughput C. elegans-E. faecium infection model involving host death. Importantly, this model recapitulates many key aspects of murine peritonitis models, including utilizing similar virulence determinants. Additionally, host death is independent of peroxide production, unlike other E. faecium-C. elegans virulence models, which allows the assessment of other virulence factors. Using this system, we analyzed a panel of lab strains with deletions of targeted virulence factors. Although removal of certain virulence factors (e.g., Δfms15) was sufficient to affect virulence, multiple deletions were generally required to affect pathogenesis, suggesting that host-pathogen interactions are multifactorial. These data were corroborated by genomic analysis of selected isolates with high and low levels of virulence. We anticipate that this platform will be useful for identifying new treatments for E. faecium infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elissa Tjahjono
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Kavindra V. Singh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Blake M. Hanson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, United States
- Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Barbara E. Murray
- Division of Infectious Diseases, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, United States
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19
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Sayed SMA, Siems K, Schmitz-Linneweber C, Luyten W, Saul N. Enhanced Healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans Treated With Extracts From the Traditional Chinese Medicine Plants Cuscuta chinensis Lam. and Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:604435. [PMID: 33633573 PMCID: PMC7901915 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.604435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To uncover potential anti-aging capacities of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was used to investigate the effects of Eucommia ulmoides and Cuscuta chinensis extracts, selected by screening seven TCM extracts, on different healthspan parameters. Nematodes exposed to E. ulmoides and C. chinensis extracts, starting at the young adult stage, exhibited prolonged lifespan and increased survival after heat stress as well as upon exposure to the pathogenic bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens, whereby the survival benefits were monitored after stress initiation at different adult stages. However, only C. chinensis had the ability to enhance physical fitness: the swimming behavior and the pharyngeal pumping rate of C. elegans were improved at day 7 and especially at day 12 of adulthood. Finally, monitoring the red fluorescence of aged worms revealed that only C. chinensis extracts caused suppression of intestinal autofluorescence, a known marker of aging. The results underline the different modes of action of the tested plants extracts. E. ulmoides improved specifically the physiological fitness by increasing the survival probability of C. elegans after stress, while C. chinensis seems to be an overall healthspan enhancer, reflected in the suppressed autofluorescence, with beneficial effects on physical as well as physiological fitness. The C. chinensis effects may be hormetic: this is supported by increased gene expression of hsp-16.1 and by trend, also of hsp-12.6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimaa M. A. Sayed
- Molecular Genetics Group, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University, El-Kharga, Egypt
| | | | - Christian Schmitz-Linneweber
- Molecular Genetics Group, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Nadine Saul
- Molecular Genetics Group, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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20
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Abstract
Trends moving in opposite directions (increasing antimicrobial resistance and declining novel antimicrobial development) have precipitated a looming crisis: a nearly complete inability to safely and effectively treat bacterial infections. To avert this, new approaches are needed. Traditionally, treatments for bacterial infection have focused on killing the microbe or preventing its growth. As antimicrobial resistance becomes more ubiquitous, the feasibility of this approach is beginning to wane and attention has begun to shift toward disrupting the host-pathogen interaction by improving the host defense. Using a high-throughput, fragment-based screen to identify compounds that alleviate Pseudomonas aeruginosa-mediated killing of Caenorhabditis elegans, we identified over 20 compounds that stimulated host defense gene expression. Five of these molecules were selected for further characterization. Four of five compounds showed little toxicity against mammalian cells or worms, consistent with their identification in a phenotypic, high-content screen. Each of the compounds activated several host defense pathways, but the pathways were generally dispensable for compound-mediated rescue in liquid killing, suggesting redundancy or that the activation of unknown pathway(s) may be driving compound effects. A genetic mechanism was identified for LK56, which required the Mediator subunit MDT-15/MED15 and NHR-49/HNF4 for its function. Interestingly, LK32, LK34, LK38, and LK56 also rescued C. elegans from P. aeruginosa in an agar-based assay, which uses different virulence factors and defense mechanisms. Rescue in an agar-based assay for LK38 entirely depended upon the PMK-1/p38 MAPK pathway. Three compounds—LK32, LK34, and LK56—also conferred resistance to Enterococcus faecalis, and the two lattermost, LK34 and LK56, also reduced pathogenesis from Staphylococcus aureus. This study supports a growing role for MDT-15 and NHR-49 in immune response and identifies five molecules that have significant potential for use as tools in the investigation of innate immunity. IMPORTANCE Trends moving in opposite directions (increasing antimicrobial resistance and declining novel antimicrobial development) have precipitated a looming crisis: the nearly complete inability to safely and effectively treat bacterial infections. To avert this, new approaches are needed. One idea is to stimulate host defense pathways to improve the clearance of bacterial infection. Here, we describe five small molecules that promote resistance to infectious bacteria by activating C. elegans’ innate immune pathways. Several are effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. One of the compounds was mapped to the action of MDT-15/MED15 and NHR-49/HNF4, a pair of transcriptional regulators more generally associated with fatty acid metabolism, potentially highlighting a new link between these biological functions. These studies pave the way for future characterization of the anti-infective activity of the molecules in higher organisms and highlight the compounds’ potential utility for further investigation of immune modulation as a novel therapeutic approach.
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21
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Kuo CJ, Hsu YC, Wang ST, Liou BY, Lim SBY, Chen YW, Chen CS. IGLR-2, a Leucine-Rich Repeat Domain Containing Protein, Is Required for the Host Defense in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Immunol 2020; 11:561337. [PMID: 33329523 PMCID: PMC7734252 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.561337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), a human pathogen, also infects Caenorhabditis elegans. We demonstrated previously that C. elegans activates the p38 MAPK innate immune pathway to defend against EHEC infection. However, whether a C. elegans pattern recognition receptor (PRR) exists to regulate the immune pathway remains unknown. PRRs identified in other metazoans contain several conserved domains, including the leucine-rich repeat (LRR). By screening a focused RNAi library, we identified the IGLR-2, a transmembrane protein containing the LRR domain, as a potential immune regulator in C. elegans. Our data showed that iglr-2 regulates the host susceptibility to EHEC infection. Moreover, iglr-2 is required for pathogen avoidance to EHEC. The iglr-2 overexpressed strain, which was more resistant to EHEC originally, showed hypersusceptibility to EHEC upon knockdown of the p38 MAPK pathway. Together, our data suggested that iglr-2 plays an important role in C. elegans to defend EHEC by regulating pathogen-avoidance behavior and the p38 MAPK pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Ju Kuo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Chu Hsu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Sin-Tian Wang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Bang-Yu Liou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Serene Boon-Yuean Lim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Wei Chen
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Shi Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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Hummell NA, Kirienko NV. Repurposing bioactive compounds for treating multidrug-resistant pathogens. J Med Microbiol 2020; 69:881-894. [PMID: 32163353 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Antimicrobial development is being outpaced by the rising rate of antimicrobial resistance in the developing and industrialized world. Drug repurposing, where novel antibacterial functions can be found for known molecular entities, reduces drug development costs, reduces regulatory hurdles, and increases rate of success.Aim. We sought to characterize the antimicrobial properties of five known bioactives (DMAQ-B1, carboplatin, oxaliplatin, CD437 and PSB-069) that were discovered in a high-throughput phenotypic screen for hits that extend Caenorhabditis elegans survival during exposure to Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14.Methodology. c.f.u. assays, biofilm staining and fluorescence microscopy were used to assay the compounds' effect on various virulence determinants. Checkerboard assays were used to assess synergy between compounds and conventional antimicrobials. C. elegans-based assays were used to test whether the compounds could also rescue against Enterococcus faecalis and Staphyloccus aureus. Finally, toxicity was assessed in C. elegans and mammalian cells.Results. Four of the compounds rescued C. elegans from a second bacterial pathogen and two of them (DMAQ-B1, a naturally occurring insulin mimetic, and CD437, an agonist of the retinoic acid receptor) rescued against all three. The platinum complexes displayed increased antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa. Of the molecules tested, only CD437 showed slight synergy with ampicillin. The two most effective compounds, DMAQ-B1 and CD437, showed toxicity to mammalian cells.Conclusion. Although these compounds' potential for repurposing is limited by their toxicity, our results contribute to this growing field and provide a simple road map for using C. elegans for preliminary testing of known bioactive compounds with predicted antimicrobial activity.
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Weaver BP, Weaver YM, Omi S, Yuan W, Ewbank JJ, Han M. Non-Canonical Caspase Activity Antagonizes p38 MAPK Stress-Priming Function to Support Development. Dev Cell 2020; 53:358-369.e6. [PMID: 32302544 PMCID: PMC7641037 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have revealed non-canonical activities of apoptotic caspases involving specific modulation of gene expression, such as limiting asymmetric divisions of stem-like cell types. Here we report that CED-3 caspase negatively regulates an epidermal p38 stress-responsive MAPK pathway to promote larval development in C. elegans. We show that PMK-1 (p38 MAPK) primes animals for encounters with hostile environments at the expense of retarding post-embryonic development. CED-3 counters this function by directly cleaving PMK-1 to promote development. Moreover, we found that CED-3 and PMK-1 oppose each other to balance developmental and stress-responsive gene expression programs. Specifically, expression of more than 300 genes is inversely regulated by CED-3 and PMK-1. Analyses of these genes showed enrichment for epidermal stress-responsive factors, including the fatty acid synthase FASN-1, anti-microbial peptides, and genes involved in lethargus states. Our findings demonstrate a non-canonical role for a caspase in promoting development by limiting epidermal stress response programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P Weaver
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
| | - Yi M Weaver
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Shizue Omi
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, INSERM, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Wang Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jonathan J Ewbank
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, INSERM, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Min Han
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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24
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Foster KJ, Cheesman HK, Liu P, Peterson ND, Anderson SM, Pukkila-Worley R. Innate Immunity in the C. elegans Intestine Is Programmed by a Neuronal Regulator of AWC Olfactory Neuron Development. Cell Rep 2020; 31:107478. [PMID: 32268082 PMCID: PMC7215899 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.03.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory neurons allow animals to discriminate nutritious food sources from potential pathogens. From a forward genetic screen, we uncovered a surprising requirement for the olfactory neuron gene olrn-1 in the regulation of intestinal epithelial immunity in Caenorhabditis elegans. During nematode development, olrn-1 is required to program the expression of odorant receptors in the AWC olfactory neuron pair. Here, we show that olrn-1 also functions in AWC neurons in the cell non-autonomous suppression of the canonical p38 MAPK PMK-1 immune pathway in the intestine. Low activity of OLRN-1, which activates the p38 MAPK signaling cassette in AWC neurons during larval development, also de-represses the p38 MAPK PMK-1 pathway in the intestine to promote immune effector transcription, increased clearance of an intestinal pathogen, and resistance to bacterial infection. These data reveal an unexpected connection between olfactory receptor development and innate immunity and show that anti-pathogen defenses in the intestine are developmentally programmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J Foster
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Hilary K Cheesman
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Pengpeng Liu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Nicholas D Peterson
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Sarah M Anderson
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Read Pukkila-Worley
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA; Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
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25
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Abstract
The microscopic nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a powerful system to characterize evolutionarily ancient mechanisms of pathogen sensing, innate immune activation, and protective host responses. Experimentally, C. elegans can be infected with a wide variety of human pathogens, as well as with natural pathogens of worms that were isolated from wild-caught nematodes. Here, we focus on an experimental model of bacterial pathogenesis that utilizes the human opportunistic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and present an algorithm that can be used to study mechanisms of immune function in nematodes. An initial comparison of the susceptibility of a C. elegans mutant to P. aeruginosa infection with its normal lifespan permits an understanding of a mutant's effect on pathogen susceptibility in the context of potential pleotropic consequences on general worm fitness. Assessing the behavior of nematodes in the presence of P. aeruginosa can also help determine if a gene of interest modulates pathogen susceptibility by affecting the host's ability to avoid a pathogen. In addition, quantification of the pathogen load in the C. elegans intestine during infection, characterization of immune effector transcription that are regulated by host defense pathways and an initial assessment of tissue specificity of immune gene function can refine hypotheses about the mechanism of action of a gene of interest. Together, these protocols offer one approach to characterize novel host defense mechanisms in a simple metazoan host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J Foster
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Deborah L McEwan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Read Pukkila-Worley
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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26
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Anderson SM, Cheesman HK, Peterson ND, Salisbury JE, Soukas AA, Pukkila-Worley R. The fatty acid oleate is required for innate immune activation and pathogen defense in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007893. [PMID: 31206555 PMCID: PMC6597122 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty acids affect a number of physiological processes, in addition to forming the building blocks of membranes and body fat stores. In this study, we uncover a role for the monounsaturated fatty acid oleate in the innate immune response of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. From an RNAi screen for regulators of innate immune defense genes, we identified the two stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturases that synthesize oleate in C. elegans. We show that the synthesis of oleate is necessary for the pathogen-mediated induction of immune defense genes. Accordingly, C. elegans deficient in oleate production are hypersusceptible to infection with diverse human pathogens, which can be rescued by the addition of exogenous oleate. However, oleate is not sufficient to drive protective immune activation. Together, these data add to the known health-promoting effects of monounsaturated fatty acids, and suggest an ancient link between nutrient stores, metabolism, and host susceptibility to bacterial infection. The evolution of multicellular organisms has been shaped by their interactions with pathogenic microorganisms. The microscopic nematode C. elegans eats bacteria for food and has evolved inducible immune defenses toward ingested pathogens that are coordinated within intestinal epithelial cells. C. elegans, therefore, presents a genetic system to characterize the requirements for the activation of innate immune defenses. Here, we show that the monounsaturated fatty acid oleate is necessary for the induction of innate immune defenses and for protection against bacterial pathogens, which defines a new link between metabolism and the regulation of anti-pathogen responses in a metazoan host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Anderson
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Hilary K. Cheesman
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Nicholas D. Peterson
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - J. Elizabeth Salisbury
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Alexander A. Soukas
- Center for Human Genomic Medicine and Diabetes Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Read Pukkila-Worley
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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27
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CEH-60/PBX and UNC-62/MEIS Coordinate a Metabolic Switch that Supports Reproduction in C. elegans. Dev Cell 2019; 49:235-250.e7. [PMID: 30956009 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The molecular basis of how animals integrate metabolic, developmental, and environmental information before committing resources to reproduction is an unresolved issue in developmental biology. In C. elegans, adult animals reallocate fat stores from intestinal cells to the germline via low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-like particles to promote embryogenesis. Here, I demonstrate that two conserved homeodomain transcription factors, CEH-60/PBX and UNC-62/MEIS, coordinate a transcriptional network that supports reproduction while suppressing longevity and stress-response pathways. The CEH-60:UNC-62 heterodimer serves an unanticipated dual function in intestinal nuclei by directly activating the expression of lipoprotein genes while directly repressing stress-responsive genes. Consequently, ceh-60 mutants display fat storage defects, a dramatic lifespan extension, and hyper-activation of innate immunity genes. Finally, CEH-60 associates with PQM-1 at the DAF-16-associated element within the promoters of stress-responsive genes to control gene expression. Thus, CEH-60 governs an elaborate transcriptional network that balances stress responses and longevity against reproduction during developmental transitions.
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28
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Peterson ND, Cheesman HK, Liu P, Anderson SM, Foster KJ, Chhaya R, Perrat P, Thekkiniath J, Yang Q, Haynes CM, Pukkila-Worley R. The nuclear hormone receptor NHR-86 controls anti-pathogen responses in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007935. [PMID: 30668573 PMCID: PMC6358101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs) are ligand-gated transcription factors that control adaptive host responses following recognition of specific endogenous or exogenous ligands. Although NHRs have expanded dramatically in C. elegans compared to other metazoans, the biological function of only a few of these genes has been characterized in detail. Here, we demonstrate that an NHR can activate an anti-pathogen transcriptional program. Using genetic epistasis experiments, transcriptome profiling analyses and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing, we show that, in the presence of an immunostimulatory small molecule, NHR-86 binds to the promoters of immune effectors to activate their transcription. NHR-86 is not required for resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa at baseline, but activation of NHR-86 by this compound drives a transcriptional program that provides protection against this pathogen. Interestingly, NHR-86 targets immune effectors whose basal regulation requires the canonical p38 MAPK PMK-1 immune pathway. However, NHR-86 functions independently of PMK-1 and modulates the transcription of these infection response genes directly. These findings characterize a new transcriptional regulator in C. elegans that can induce a protective host response towards a bacterial pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D. Peterson
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Hilary K. Cheesman
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Pengpeng Liu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Sarah M. Anderson
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Kyle J. Foster
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Richa Chhaya
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Paola Perrat
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Qiyuan Yang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Cole M. Haynes
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Read Pukkila-Worley
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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29
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Kirienko DR, Kang D, Kirienko NV. Novel Pyoverdine Inhibitors Mitigate Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pathogenesis. Front Microbiol 2019; 9:3317. [PMID: 30687293 PMCID: PMC6333909 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a clinically important pathogen that causes a variety of infections, including urinary, respiratory, and other soft-tissue infections, particularly in hospitalized patients with immune defects, cystic fibrosis, or significant burns. Antimicrobial resistance is a substantial problem in P. aeruginosa treatment due to the inherent insensitivity of the pathogen to a wide variety of antimicrobial drugs and its rapid acquisition of additional resistance mechanisms. One strategy to circumvent this problem is the use of anti-virulent compounds to disrupt pathogenesis without directly compromising bacterial growth. One of the principle regulatory mechanisms for P. aeruginosa’s virulence is the iron-scavenging siderophore pyoverdine, as it governs in-host acquisition of iron, promotes expression of multiple virulence factors, and is directly toxic. Some combination of these activities renders pyoverdine indispensable for pathogenesis in mammalian models. Here we report identification of a panel of novel small molecules that disrupt pyoverdine function. These molecules directly act on pyoverdine, rather than affecting its biosynthesis. The compounds reduce the pathogenic effect of pyoverdine and improve the survival of Caenorhabditis elegans when challenged with P. aeruginosa by disrupting only this single virulence factor. Finally, these compounds can synergize with conventional antimicrobials, forming a more effective treatment. These compounds may help to identify, or be modified to become, viable drug leads in their own right. Finally, they also serve as useful tool compounds to probe pyoverdine activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Kirienko
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Donghoon Kang
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
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30
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Yuen GJ, Ausubel FM. Both live and dead Enterococci activate Caenorhabditis elegans host defense via immune and stress pathways. Virulence 2018; 9:683-699. [PMID: 29436902 PMCID: PMC5955442 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2018.1438025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The innate immune response of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been extensively studied and a variety of Toll-independent immune response pathways have been identified. Surprisingly little, however, is known about how pathogens activate the C. elegans immune response. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are closely related enterococcal species that exhibit significantly different levels of virulence in C. elegans infection models. Previous work has shown that activation of the C. elegans immune response by Pseudomonas aeruginosa involves P. aeruginosa-mediated host damage. Through ultrastructural imaging, we report that infection with either E. faecalis or E. faecium causes the worm intestine to become distended with proliferating bacteria in the absence of extensive morphological changes and apparent physical damage. Genetic analysis, whole-genome transcriptional profiling, and multiplexed gene expression analysis demonstrate that both enterococcal species, whether live or dead, induce a rapid and similar transcriptional defense response dependent upon previously described immune signaling pathways. The host response to E. faecium shows a stricter dependence upon stress response signaling pathways than the response to E. faecalis. Unexpectedly, we find that E. faecium is a C. elegans pathogen and that an active wild-type host defense response is required to keep an E. faecium infection at bay. These results provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the C. elegans immune response to pathogen infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace J. Yuen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Frederick M. Ausubel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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31
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Brevinin-2 Drug Family—New Applied Peptide Candidates Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Their Effects on Lys-7 Expression of Innate Immune Pathway DAF-2/DAF-16 in Caenorhabditis elegans. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/app8122627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The issue of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) developing a resistance to drugs such as methicillin has long been the focus for new drug development. In recent years, antimicrobial peptides, such as small molecular peptides with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and special antibacterial mechanism, have shown a strong medicinal potential. In particular, the Brevinin-2 family has been shown to have a significant inhibitory effect against gram-positive bacteria (G+). In this study, we researched the influence of MRSA on the behavior and survival rate of nematodes. We established an assay of Caenorhabditis elegans–MRSA antimicrobial peptides to screen for new potent anti-infective peptides against MRSA. From the Brevinin-2 family, 13 peptides that had shown strong effects on G+ were screened for their ability to prolong the lifespan of infected worms. Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests were used to evaluate the effect on the innate immune pathway dauer formation defective (DAF)-2/DAF-16 of C. elegans. The assay successfully screened and filtered out four of the 13 peptides that significantly improved the survival rate of MRSA-infected worms. The result of real-time PCR indicated that the mRNA and protein expression levels of lys-7 were consistently upregulated by being treated with four of the Brevinin-2 family. The Brevinin-2 family peptides, including Brevinin-2, Brevinin-2-OA3, Brevinin-2ISb, and Brevinin-2TSa, also played an active role in the DAF-2/DAF-16 pathway in C. elegans. We successfully demonstrated the utility of anti-infective peptides that prolong the survival rate of the MRSA-infected host and discovered the relationship between antibacterial peptides and the innate immune system of C. elegans. We demonstrated the antimicrobial effects of Brevinin-2 family peptides, indicating their potential for use as new drug candidates against MRSA infections.
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32
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Ding W, Higgins DP, Yadav DK, Godbole AA, Pukkila-Worley R, Walker AK. Stress-responsive and metabolic gene regulation are altered in low S-adenosylmethionine. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007812. [PMID: 30485261 PMCID: PMC6287882 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is a donor which provides the methyl groups for histone or nucleic acid modification and phosphatidylcholine production. SAM is hypothesized to link metabolism and chromatin modification, however, its role in acute gene regulation is poorly understood. We recently found that Caenorhabditis elegans with reduced SAM had deficiencies in H3K4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) at pathogen-response genes, decreasing their expression and limiting pathogen resistance. We hypothesized that SAM may be generally required for stress-responsive transcription. Here, using genetic assays, we show that transcriptional responses to bacterial or xenotoxic stress fail in C. elegans with low SAM, but that expression of heat shock genes are unaffected. We also found that two H3K4 methyltransferases, set-2/SET1 and set-16/MLL, had differential responses to survival during stress. set-2/SET1 is specifically required in bacterial responses, whereas set-16/MLL is universally required. These results define a role for SAM in the acute stress-responsive gene expression. Finally, we find that modification of metabolic gene expression correlates with enhanced survival during stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Ding
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMASS Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Daniel P. Higgins
- Department of Computer Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Dilip K. Yadav
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMASS Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Adwait A. Godbole
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMASS Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Read Pukkila-Worley
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, UMASS Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Amy K. Walker
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMASS Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
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33
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Lee SH, Omi S, Thakur N, Taffoni C, Belougne J, Engelmann I, Ewbank JJ, Pujol N. Modulatory upregulation of an insulin peptide gene by different pathogens in C. elegans. Virulence 2018; 9:648-658. [PMID: 29405821 PMCID: PMC5955453 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2018.1433969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
When an animal is infected, its innate immune response needs to be tightly regulated across tissues and coordinated with other aspects of organismal physiology. Previous studies with Caenorhabditis elegans have demonstrated that insulin-like peptide genes are differentially expressed in response to different pathogens. They represent prime candidates for conveying signals between tissues upon infection. Here, we focused on one such gene, ins-11 and its potential role in mediating cross-tissue regulation of innate immune genes. While diverse bacterial intestinal infections can trigger the up-regulation of ins-11 in the intestine, we show that epidermal infection with the fungus Drechmeria coniospora triggers an upregulation of ins-11 in the epidermis. Using the Shigella virulence factor OpsF, a MAP kinase inhibitor, we found that in both cases, ins-11 expression is controlled cell autonomously by p38 MAPK, but via distinct transcription factors, STA-2/STAT in the epidermis and HLH-30/TFEB in the intestine. We established that ins-11, and the insulin signaling pathway more generally, are not involved in the regulation of antimicrobial peptide gene expression in the epidermis. The up-regulation of ins-11 in the epidermis does, however, affect intestinal gene expression in a complex manner, and has a deleterious effect on longevity. These results support a model in which insulin signaling, via ins-11, contributes to the coordination of the organismal response to infection, influencing the allocation of resources in an infected animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-Hua Lee
- a CIML , Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université UM2 , INSERM CNRS UMR, Marseille , France
| | - Shizue Omi
- a CIML , Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université UM2 , INSERM CNRS UMR, Marseille , France
| | - Nishant Thakur
- a CIML , Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université UM2 , INSERM CNRS UMR, Marseille , France
| | - Clara Taffoni
- a CIML , Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université UM2 , INSERM CNRS UMR, Marseille , France
| | - Jérôme Belougne
- a CIML , Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université UM2 , INSERM CNRS UMR, Marseille , France
| | - Ilka Engelmann
- a CIML , Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université UM2 , INSERM CNRS UMR, Marseille , France
| | - Jonathan J Ewbank
- a CIML , Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université UM2 , INSERM CNRS UMR, Marseille , France
| | - Nathalie Pujol
- a CIML , Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université UM2 , INSERM CNRS UMR, Marseille , France
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34
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Peterson ND, Pukkila-Worley R. Caenorhabditis elegans in high-throughput screens for anti-infective compounds. Curr Opin Immunol 2018; 54:59-65. [PMID: 29935375 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2018.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
New classes of antimicrobials that are effective therapies for infections with multi-drug resistant pathogens are urgently needed. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been incorporated into small molecule screening platforms to identify anti-infective compounds that provide protection of a host during infection. The use of a live animal in these screening systems offers several advantages, including the ability to identify molecules that boost innate immune responses in a manner advantageous to host survival and compounds that disrupt bacterial virulence mechanisms. In addition, new classes of antimicrobials that target the pathogen have been uncovered, as well as interesting chemical probes that can be used to dissect new mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D Peterson
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, United States
| | - Read Pukkila-Worley
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, United States.
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35
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Clatworthy AE, Romano KP, Hung DT. Whole-organism phenotypic screening for anti-infectives promoting host health. Nat Chem Biol 2018; 14:331-341. [PMID: 29556098 PMCID: PMC9843822 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-018-0018-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
To date, antibiotics have been identified on the basis of their ability to kill bacteria or inhibit their growth rather than directly for their capacity to improve clinical outcomes of infected patients. Although historically successful, this approach has led to the development of an antibiotic armamentarium that suffers from a number of shortcomings, including the inevitable emergence of resistance and, in certain infections, suboptimal efficacy leading to long treatment durations, infection recurrence, or high mortality and morbidity rates despite apparent bacterial sterilization. Conventional antibiotics fail to address the complexities of in vivo bacterial physiology and virulence, as well as the role of the host underlying the complex, dynamic interactions that cause disease. New interventions are needed, aimed at host outcome rather than microbiological cure. Here we review the role of screening models for cellular and whole-organism infection, including worms, flies, zebrafish, and mice, to identify novel therapeutic strategies and discuss their future implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne E. Clatworthy
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Keith P. Romano
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deborah T. Hung
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to D.T.H.
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Functional Characterization of Novel Circular RNA Molecule, circzip-2 and Its Synthesizing Gene zip-2 in C. elegans Model of Parkinson’s Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:6914-6926. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-0903-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Strange K. Drug Discovery in Fish, Flies, and Worms. ILAR J 2017; 57:133-143. [PMID: 28053067 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilw034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonmammalian model organisms such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and the zebrafish Danio rerio provide numerous experimental advantages for drug discovery including genetic and molecular tractability, amenability to high-throughput screening methods and reduced experimental costs and increased experimental throughput compared to traditional mammalian models. An interdisciplinary approach that strategically combines the study of nonmammalian and mammalian animal models with diverse experimental tools has and will continue to provide deep molecular and genetic understanding of human disease and will significantly enhance the discovery and application of new therapies to treat those diseases. This review will provide an overview of C. elegans, Drosophila, and zebrafish biology and husbandry and will discuss how these models are being used for phenotype-based drug screening and for identification of drug targets and mechanisms of action. The review will also describe how these and other nonmammalian model organisms are uniquely suited for the discovery of drug-based regenerative medicine therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Strange
- Kevin Strange, Ph.D., is President and CEO of the MDI Biological Laboratory and CEO of Novo Biosciences, Inc
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Zheng SQ, Huang XB, Xing TK, Ding AJ, Wu GS, Luo HR. Chlorogenic Acid Extends the Lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans via Insulin/IGF-1 Signaling Pathway. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2017; 72:464-472. [PMID: 27378235 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glw105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Coffee and tea, two of the most popular drinks around the world, share many in common from chemical components to beneficial effects on human health. One of their shared components, the polyphenols, most notably chlorogenic acid (CGA), was supposed to account for many of the beneficial effects on ameliorating diseases occurred accompanying people aging, such as the antioxidant effect and against diabetes and cardiovascular disease. CGA is also present in many traditional Chinese medicines. However, the mechanism of these effects was vague. The aging signaling pathways were conservative from yeast and worms to mammals. So, we tested if CGA had an effect on aging in Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that CGA could extend the lifespan of C. elegans by up to 20.1%, delay the age-related decline of body movement, and improve stress resistance. We conducted genetic analysis with a series of worm mutants and found that CGA could extend the lifespan of the mutants of eat-2, glp-1, and isp-1, but not of daf-2, pdk-1, akt-1, akt-2, sgk-1, and clk-1. CGA could activate the FOXO transcription factors DAF-16, HSF-1, SKN-1, and HIF-1, but not SIR-2.1. Taken together, CGA might extend the lifespan of C. elegans mainly via DAF-16 in insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan-Qing Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Bing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ti-Kun Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ai-Jun Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gui-Sheng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China
| | - Huai-Rong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China
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Midha A, Schlosser J, Hartmann S. Reciprocal Interactions between Nematodes and Their Microbial Environments. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:144. [PMID: 28497029 PMCID: PMC5406411 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic nematode infections are widespread in nature, affecting humans as well as wild, companion, and livestock animals. Most parasitic nematodes inhabit the intestines of their hosts living in close contact with the intestinal microbiota. Many species also have tissue migratory life stages in the absence of severe systemic inflammation of the host. Despite the close coexistence of helminths with numerous microbes, little is known concerning these interactions. While the environmental niche is considerably different, the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is also found amongst a diverse microbiota, albeit on decaying organic matter. As a very well characterized model organism that has been intensively studied for several decades, C. elegans interactions with bacteria are much more deeply understood than those of their parasitic counterparts. The enormous breadth of understanding achieved by the C. elegans research community continues to inform many aspects of nematode parasitology. Here, we summarize what is known regarding parasitic nematode-bacterial interactions while comparing and contrasting this with information from work in C. elegans. This review highlights findings concerning responses to bacterial stimuli, antimicrobial peptides, and the reciprocal influences between nematodes and their environmental bacteria. Furthermore, the microbiota of nematodes as well as alterations in the intestinal microbiota of mammalian hosts by helminth infections are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Midha
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Freie Universität BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | - Josephine Schlosser
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Freie Universität BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Hartmann
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Freie Universität BerlinBerlin, Germany
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Kim W, Hendricks GL, Lee K, Mylonakis E. An update on the use of C. elegans for preclinical drug discovery: screening and identifying anti-infective drugs. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2017; 12:625-633. [PMID: 28402221 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2017.1319358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The emergence of antibiotic-resistant and -tolerant bacteria is a major threat to human health. Although efforts for drug discovery are ongoing, conventional bacteria-centered screening strategies have thus far failed to yield new classes of effective antibiotics. Therefore, new paradigms for discovering novel antibiotics are of critical importance. Caenorhabditis elegans, a model organism used for in vivo, offers a promising solution for identification of anti-infective compounds. Areas covered: This review examines the advantages of C. elegans-based high-throughput screening over conventional, bacteria-centered in vitro screens. It discusses major anti-infective compounds identified from large-scale C. elegans-based screens and presents the first clinically-approved drugs, then known bioactive compounds, and finally novel small molecules. Expert opinion: There are clear advantages of using a C. elegans-infection based screening method. A C. elegans-based screen produces an enriched pool of non-toxic, efficacious, potential anti-infectives, covering: conventional antimicrobial agents, immunomodulators, and anti-virulence agents. Although C. elegans-based screens do not denote the mode of action of hit compounds, this can be elucidated in secondary studies by comparing the results to target-based screens, or conducting subsequent target-based screens, including the genetic knock-down of host or bacterial genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wooseong Kim
- a Division of Infectious Diseases , Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University , Providence , RI , USA
| | - Gabriel Lambert Hendricks
- a Division of Infectious Diseases , Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University , Providence , RI , USA
| | - Kiho Lee
- a Division of Infectious Diseases , Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University , Providence , RI , USA
| | - Eleftherios Mylonakis
- a Division of Infectious Diseases , Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University , Providence , RI , USA
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Kim KW, Thakur N, Piggott CA, Omi S, Polanowska J, Jin Y, Pujol N. Coordinated inhibition of C/EBP by Tribbles in multiple tissues is essential for Caenorhabditis elegans development. BMC Biol 2016; 14:104. [PMID: 27927209 PMCID: PMC5141650 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-016-0320-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Tribbles proteins are conserved pseudokinases that function to control kinase signalling and transcription in diverse biological processes. Abnormal function in human Tribbles has been implicated in a number of diseases including leukaemia, metabolic syndromes and cardiovascular diseases. Caenorhabditis elegans Tribbles NIPI-3 was previously shown to activate host defense upon infection by promoting the conserved PMK-1/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway. Despite the prominent role of Tribbles proteins in many species, our knowledge of their mechanism of action is fragmented, and the in vivo functional relevance of their interactions with other proteins remains largely unknown. Results Here, by characterizing nipi-3 null mutants, we show that nipi-3 is essential for larval development and viability. Through analyses of genetic suppressors of nipi-3 null mutant lethality, we show that NIPI-3 negatively controls PMK-1/p38 signalling via transcriptional repression of the C/EBP transcription factor CEBP-1. We identified CEBP-1’s transcriptional targets by ChIP-seq analyses and found them to be enriched in genes involved in development and stress responses. Unlike its cell-autonomous role in innate immunity, NIPI-3 is required in multiple tissues to control organismal development. Conclusions Together, our data uncover an unprecedented crosstalk involving multiple tissues, in which NIPI-3 acts as a master regulator to inhibit CEBP-1 and the PMK-1/p38 MAPK pathway. In doing so, it keeps innate immunity in check and ensures proper organismal development. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0320-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Won Kim
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Nishant Thakur
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université, Inserm, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Christopher A Piggott
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Shizue Omi
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université, Inserm, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Jolanta Polanowska
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université, Inserm, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Yishi Jin
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Nathalie Pujol
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université, Inserm, CNRS, Marseille, France.
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Kong C, Eng SA, Lim MP, Nathan S. Beyond Traditional Antimicrobials: A Caenorhabditis elegans Model for Discovery of Novel Anti-infectives. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1956. [PMID: 27994583 PMCID: PMC5133244 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of antibiotic resistance amongst bacterial pathogens has led to an urgent need for new antimicrobial compounds with novel modes of action that minimize the potential for drug resistance. To date, the development of new antimicrobial drugs is still lagging far behind the rising demand, partly owing to the absence of an effective screening platform. Over the last decade, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been incorporated as a whole animal screening platform for antimicrobials. This development is taking advantage of the vast knowledge on worm physiology and how it interacts with bacterial and fungal pathogens. In addition to allowing for in vivo selection of compounds with promising anti-microbial properties, the whole animal C. elegans screening system has also permitted the discovery of novel compounds targeting infection processes that only manifest during the course of pathogen infection of the host. Another advantage of using C. elegans in the search for new antimicrobials is that the worm itself is a source of potential antimicrobial effectors which constitute part of its immune defense response to thwart infections. This has led to the evaluation of effector molecules, particularly antimicrobial proteins and peptides (APPs), as candidates for further development as therapeutic agents. In this review, we provide an overview on use of the C. elegans model for identification of novel anti-infectives. We highlight some highly potential lead compounds obtained from C. elegans-based screens, particularly those that target bacterial virulence or host defense to eradicate infections, a mechanism distinct from the action of conventional antibiotics. We also review the prospect of using C. elegans APPs as an antimicrobial strategy to treat infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cin Kong
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Su-Anne Eng
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Mei-Perng Lim
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Sheila Nathan
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Bangi, Malaysia
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Surveillance Immunity: An Emerging Paradigm of Innate Defense Activation in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005795. [PMID: 27631629 PMCID: PMC5025020 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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Balasubramanian V, Sellegounder D, Suman K, Krishnaswamy B. Proteome analysis reveals translational inhibition of Caenorhabditis elegans enhances susceptibility to Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 pathogenesis. J Proteomics 2016; 145:141-152. [PMID: 27109352 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2016.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Caenorhabditis elegans-Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection model is commonly used for pathogenesis studies over the decades. In the present study, upon exposure to the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, the 2D-PAGE was performed to examine the total proteins differences of C. elegans during the PAO1 infection at different time durations (12-48h). Also, the 2D-DIGE using the cyanine dyes were performed (48h) to identify the differentially regulated proteins against the PAO1 infection. Among the 19 short-listed proteins, 5 proteins were down-regulated and 14 proteins were up-regulated. Eukaryotic elongation factor-2 (EEF-2), a GTP binding protein involves in protein elongation process was down regulated during the pathogen infection. The 2D-PAGE analysis and MS data for the 12 and 24h infections identified the NDK-1 and other essential protein includes, ACS-18, ACT-1, GPD-3, GDH-1 and LBP-6 which are involved in important cellular homeostasis were down regulated. Validation studies using qPCR analysis for eef-2 and other selected genes, western blot analysis for EEF-2 and effect of host translational inhibition studies using Cycloheximide during PAO1 infection suggests that P. aeruginosa systematically restrains the function of host by arresting the expression of EEF-2 and thereby inhibiting protein translational events. Further, in silico analysis revealed the Exotoxin A could directly bind with the host EEF-2 and NDK-1 during the C. elegans- PAO1 interactions. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE Model system, C. elegans facilitates the identification of virulence mechanisms during bacterial pathogenesis. Upon infection by the fungal and bacterial pathogens, the C. elegans system induces an array of transcriptional responses, including differential expression of effector/modulator genes that provide safeguard and fight against infection. However, the in-depth knowledge of host response by the pathogen at protein level remains unclear. Much of the studies were carried out only at the transcripts level and scarce reports are available at the protein level for the host-pathogen interaction studies. In order to provide few interesting clues at the protein level, the nematode, C. elegans was infected with the human pathogen P. aeruginosa and the response(s) of host was investigated at the protein level by 2D-DIGE analysis and further validation studies using qPCR and western blotting techniques. Our differential proteomics data suggest that translational inhibition as one of the patterns of pathogenesis in C. elegans during P. aeruginosa infection. Since many of the effectors identified through C. elegans are conserved in other systems including human, our data pave the way for understanding important regulatory pathways involved during bacterial pathogenesis that can be translated into higher eukaryotic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Durai Sellegounder
- Department of Biotechnology, Science Campus, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, India
| | - Kundu Suman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
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Ying M, Qiao Y, Yu L. Evolutionary expansion of nematode-specific glycine-rich secreted peptides. Gene 2016; 587:76-82. [PMID: 27129940 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.04.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2015] [Revised: 03/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide comparisons across 10 species from algae Guillardia theta to mammal human indicated that Caenorhabditis elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae were highly enriched for glycine-rich secreted peptides (GRSPs) (110 GRSPs in C. elegans and 93 in C. briggsae) in this study. Chromosomal mapping showed that most GRSPs were clustered on the two nematode genomes [103 (93.64%) in C. elegans and 82 (88.17%) in C. briggsae], which could be divided into 18 cluster units in C. elegans and 13 in C. briggsae, respectively. Except for four C. elegans GRSPs clusters without matching clusters in C. briggsae, all other GRSPs clusters had paired synteny block between the two nematode genomes. Analyzing transcriptome datasets quantified by microarray indicated extensive genome-wide co-expression of GRSPs clusters after C. elegans infections. Highly homologous coding sequences and conserved exon-intron structures indicated that GRSPs tight clusters were likely derived from local DNA duplications. Phylogenetic conservation of synteny blocks between their genomes, co-expression of GRSPs clusters after C. elegans infections, and strong purifying selections of coding sequences may indicate evolutionary constraints acting on C. elegans to guarantee that C. elegans could mount rapid systematic responses to infections by co-expression, co-regulation, and co-functionality of GRSPs clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muying Ying
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China.
| | - Yangyang Qiao
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China
| | - Lehan Yu
- Experimental Center for Medical Teaching of Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China
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Aberrant Activation of p38 MAP Kinase-Dependent Innate Immune Responses Is Toxic to Caenorhabditis elegans. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2016; 6:541-9. [PMID: 26818074 PMCID: PMC4777117 DOI: 10.1534/g3.115.025650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Inappropriate activation of innate immune responses in intestinal epithelial cells underlies the pathophysiology of inflammatory disorders of the intestine. Here we examine the physiological effects of immune hyperactivation in the intestine of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We previously identified an immunostimulatory xenobiotic that protects C. elegans from bacterial infection by inducing immune effector expression via the conserved p38 MAP kinase pathway, but was toxic to nematodes developing in the absence of pathogen. To investigate a possible connection between the toxicity and immunostimulatory properties of this xenobiotic, we conducted a forward genetic screen for C. elegans mutants that are resistant to the deleterious effects of the compound, and identified five toxicity suppressors. These strains contained hypomorphic mutations in each of the known components of the p38 MAP kinase cassette (tir-1, nsy-1, sek-1, and pmk-1), demonstrating that hyperstimulation of the p38 MAPK pathway is toxic to animals. To explore mechanisms of immune pathway regulation in C. elegans, we conducted another genetic screen for dominant activators of the p38 MAPK pathway, and identified a single allele that had a gain-of-function (gf) mutation in nsy-1, the MAP kinase kinase kinase that acts upstream of p38 MAPK pmk-1. The nsy-1(gf) allele caused hyperinduction of p38 MAPK PMK-1-dependent immune effectors, had greater levels of phosphorylated p38 MAPK, and was more resistant to killing by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared to wild-type controls. In addition, the nsy-1(gf) mutation was toxic to developing animals. Together, these data suggest that the activity of the MAPKKK NSY-1 is tightly regulated as part of a physiological mechanism to control p38 MAPK-mediated innate immune hyperactivation, and ensure cellular homeostasis in C. elegans.
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Rajamuthiah R, Jayamani E, Majed H, Conery AL, Kim W, Kwon B, Fuchs BB, Kelso MJ, Ausubel FM, Mylonakis E. Antibacterial properties of 3-(phenylsulfonyl)-2-pyrazinecarbonitrile. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2015; 25:5203-7. [PMID: 26459212 PMCID: PMC4718707 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.09.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains has heightened the need for new antimicrobial agents based on novel chemical scaffolds that are able to circumvent current modes of resistance. We recently developed a whole-animal drug-screening methodology in pursuit of this goal and now report the discovery of 3-(phenylsulfonyl)-2-pyrazinecarbonitrile (PSPC) as a novel antibacterial effective against resistant nosocomial pathogens. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of PSPC against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium were 4 μg/mL and 8 μg/mL, respectively, whereas the MICs were higher against the Gram-negative bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae (64 μg/mL), Acinetobacter baumannii (32 μg/mL), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (>64 μg/mL), and Enterobacter spp. (>64 μg/mL). However, co-treatment of PSPC with the efflux pump inhibitor phenylalanine arginyl β-naphthylamide (PAβN) or with sub-inhibitory concentrations of the lipopeptide antibiotic polymyxin B reduced the MICs of PSPC against the Gram-negative strains by >4-fold. A sulfide analog of PSPC (PSPC-1S) showed no antibacterial activity, whereas the sulfoxide analog (PSPC-6S) showed identical activity as PSPC across all strains, confirming structure-dependent activity for PSPC and suggesting a target-based mechanism of action. PSPC displayed dose dependent toxicity to both Caenorhabditis elegans and HEK-293 mammalian cells, culminating with a survival rate of 16% (100 μg/mL) and 8.5% (64 μg/mL), respectively, at the maximum tested concentration. However, PSPC did not result in hemolysis of erythrocytes, even at a concentration of 64 μg/mL. Together these results support PSPC as a new chemotype suitable for further development of new antibiotics against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajmohan Rajamuthiah
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, POB, 3rd Floor, Suite 328/330, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Elamparithi Jayamani
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, POB, 3rd Floor, Suite 328/330, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hiwa Majed
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Annie L Conery
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Wooseong Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, POB, 3rd Floor, Suite 328/330, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Bumsup Kwon
- Division of Neurology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Beth Burgwyn Fuchs
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, POB, 3rd Floor, Suite 328/330, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Michael J Kelso
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Frederick M Ausubel
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Eleftherios Mylonakis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, POB, 3rd Floor, Suite 328/330, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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Vérièpe J, Fossouo L, Parker JA. Neurodegeneration in C. elegans models of ALS requires TIR-1/Sarm1 immune pathway activation in neurons. Nat Commun 2015; 6:7319. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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49
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Cohen LB, Troemel ER. Microbial pathogenesis and host defense in the nematode C. elegans. Curr Opin Microbiol 2015; 23:94-101. [PMID: 25461579 PMCID: PMC4324121 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2014.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial cells line the surfaces of the body, and are on the front lines of defense against microbial infection. Like many other metazoans, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans lacks known professional immune cells and relies heavily on defense mediated by epithelial cells. New results indicate that epithelial defense in C. elegans can be triggered through detection of pathogen-induced perturbation of core physiology within host cells and through autophagic defense against intracellular and extracellular pathogens. Recent studies have also illuminated a diverse array of pathogenic attack strategies used against C. elegans. These findings are providing insight into the underpinnings of host/pathogen interactions in a simple animal host that can inform studies of infectious diseases in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianne B Cohen
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Emily R Troemel
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States.
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Abnave P, Conti F, Torre C, Ghigo E. What RNAi screens in model organisms revealed about microbicidal response in mammals? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2015; 4:184. [PMID: 25629007 PMCID: PMC4290690 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2014.00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The strategies evolved by pathogens to infect hosts and the mechanisms used by the host to eliminate intruders are highly complex. Because several biological pathways and processes are conserved across model organisms, these organisms have been used for many years to elucidate and understand the mechanisms of the host-pathogen relationship and particularly to unravel the molecular processes enacted by the host to kill pathogens. The emergence of RNA interference (RNAi) and the ability to apply it toward studies in model organisms have allowed a breakthrough in the elucidation of host-pathogen interactions. The aim of this mini-review is to highlight and describe recent breakthroughs in the field of host-pathogen interactions using RNAi screens of model organisms. We will focus specifically on the model organisms Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Danio rerio. Moreover, a recent study examining the immune system of planarian will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasad Abnave
- CNRS UMR 7278, URMITE, IRD198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France
| | - Filippo Conti
- CNRS UMR 7278, URMITE, IRD198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France
| | - Cedric Torre
- CNRS UMR 7278, URMITE, IRD198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France
| | - Eric Ghigo
- CNRS UMR 7278, URMITE, IRD198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France
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