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Pei H, Lin Z, Yao K, Luo Y, Tong P, Chen H, Wu Y, Wu Z, Gao J. Ovalbumin promotes innate immune response of Caenorhabditis elegans through DAF-16 and SKN-1 pathways in insulin/IGF-1 signaling. J Physiol Biochem 2024:10.1007/s13105-024-01021-2. [PMID: 38632209 DOI: 10.1007/s13105-024-01021-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Ovalbumin (OVA) is a major allergen in eggs and could induce severe allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, where the innate immune system works as a regulator. The mechanism of how innate immunity adjusts to food allergy is relatively well-studied, however, the effects of allergen uptake on the innate immune system remain unclear. Therefore, the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model was utilized to assess the effects of OVA on its innate immune system. OVA enhanced the immune response of C. elegans with higher survival rates under Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Moreover, sustaining OVA treatment improved the health states that were reflected in the prolonged lifespan, alleviated oxidative stress, accelerated growth, and promoted motility. RNA-sequencing analysis and the slow-killing assays in the mutants of insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS)-related genes confirmed that IIS was necessary for OVA to regulate innate immunity. Besides, OVA activated SKN-1 temporarily and facilitated the nuclear localization of DAF-16 for improving immunity and health status in C. elegans. Together, OVA could enhance the innate immune responses via DAF-16 and SKN-1 pathways in the IIS of C. elegans, and this work will provide novel insights into the regulation of innate immunity by OVA in higher organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibing Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- College of Food Science & Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Food Allergy, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
| | - Zhiyin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- College of Food Science & Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Food Allergy, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
| | - Kexin Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- College of Food Science & Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Food Allergy, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
| | - Yeqing Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- College of Food Science & Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Food Allergy, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
| | - Ping Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China.
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Food Allergy, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China.
| | - Hongbing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Food Allergy, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- Sino-German Joint Research Institute, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
| | - Yong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Food Allergy, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- Sino-German Joint Research Institute, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
| | - Zhihua Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Food Allergy, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
- Sino-German Joint Research Institute, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China
| | - Jinyan Gao
- College of Food Science & Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China.
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Food Allergy, Nanchang, 330047, P.R. China.
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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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Zhou H, Yuan W, Lei W, Zhou T, Qin P, Zhang B, Hu M. Domain definition and preliminary functional exploration of the endonuclease NOBP-1 in Strongyloides stercoralis. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:399. [PMID: 37924155 PMCID: PMC10623843 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05940-9] [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: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ribosome biogenesis is the process of assembling ribosome complexes that regulate cell proliferation and differentiation with potential regulatory effects on development. Many factors regulate ribosome biological processes. Nin one binding protein (Nob1) has received widespread attention as key genes regulating ribosome biogenesis-the 3' end of the 20S rRNA is cleaved by Nob1 at cleavage site D to form 18S rRNA, generating translationally capable 40S subunit. As a ribosome biogenesis factor, Nob1 may regulate the development of organisms, but almost nothing is known about the function of Nob1 for any parasitic nematode. We explored the functional role of NOBP-1 (the homologous gene of Nob1) encoding gene from a parasitic nematode-Strongyloides stercoralis. METHODS The full-length cDNA, gDNA and promoter region of Ss-nobp-1 was identified using protein BLAST in WormBase ParaSite according to the Caenorhabditis elegans NOBP-1 sequence to analyze the gene structure. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data in wormbase were retrieved and analyzed to assess the transcript abundance of Ss-nobp-1 in seven developmental stages of S. stercoralis. The standard method for gonadal microinjection of constructs was carried out to determine the anatomic expression patterns of Ss-nobp-1. The interaction between Ss-NOBP-1 and partner of NOBP-1 (Ss-PNO-1) was assessed by yeast two-hybridization and bimolecular fluorescence complementarity (BiFC) experiments. RESULTS The NOBP-1 encoding gene Ss-nopb-1 from the zoonotic parasite S. stercoralis has been isolated and characterized. The genomic DNA representing Ss-nobp-1 includes a 1599-bp coding region and encodes a protein comprising 403 amino acids (aa), which contains conserved PIN domain and zinc ribbon domain. RNA-seq analysis revealed that Ss-nobp-1 transcripts are present throughout the seven developmental stages in S. stercoralis and have higher transcription levels in iL3, L3 and P Female. Ss-nobp-1 is expressed mainly in the intestine of transgenic S. stercoralis larvae, and there is a direct interaction between Ss-NOBP-1 and Ss-PNO-1. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, Ss-NOBP-1 has a potential role in embryo formation and the infective process, and findings from this study provide a sound foundation for investigating its function during the development of parasitic nematode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-Breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
| | - Wang Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Weiqiang Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jinling Institute of Technology, Nanjing, 210038, China
| | - Taoxun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Peixi Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Biying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Min Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
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Williams RTP, King DC, Mastroianni IR, Hill JL, Apenes NW, Ramirez G, Miner EC, Moore A, Coleman K, Nishimura EO. Transcriptome profiling of the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine reveals that ELT-2 negatively and positively regulates intestinal gene expression within the context of a gene regulatory network. Genetics 2023; 224:iyad088. [PMID: 37183501 PMCID: PMC10411582 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad088] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
ELT-2 is the major transcription factor (TF) required for Caenorhabditis elegans intestinal development. ELT-2 expression initiates in embryos to promote development and then persists after hatching through the larval and adult stages. Though the sites of ELT-2 binding are characterized and the transcriptional changes that result from ELT-2 depletion are known, an intestine-specific transcriptome profile spanning developmental time has been missing. We generated this dataset by performing Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting on intestine cells at distinct developmental stages. We analyzed this dataset in conjunction with previously conducted ELT-2 studies to evaluate the role of ELT-2 in directing the intestinal gene regulatory network through development. We found that only 33% of intestine-enriched genes in the embryo were direct targets of ELT-2 but that number increased to 75% by the L3 stage. This suggests additional TFs promote intestinal transcription especially in the embryo. Furthermore, only half of ELT-2's direct target genes were dependent on ELT-2 for their proper expression levels, and an equal proportion of those responded to elt-2 depletion with over-expression as with under-expression. That is, ELT-2 can either activate or repress direct target genes. Additionally, we observed that ELT-2 repressed its own promoter, implicating new models for its autoregulation. Together, our results illustrate that ELT-2 impacts roughly 20-50% of intestine-specific genes, that ELT-2 both positively and negatively controls its direct targets, and that the current model of the intestinal regulatory network is incomplete as the factors responsible for directing the expression of many intestinal genes remain unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T P Williams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - David C King
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Izabella R Mastroianni
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jessica L Hill
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Nicolai W Apenes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Gabriela Ramirez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - E Catherine Miner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Andrew Moore
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Karissa Coleman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Erin Osborne Nishimura
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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5
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Zhang W, Jiang A, Yu H, Dong B. Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Functionally Segmented Intestine in Tunicate Ascidian. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:6270. [PMID: 37047242 PMCID: PMC10094616 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076270] [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: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate intestinal system consists of separate segments that remarkably differ in morphology and function. However, the origin of intestinal segmentation remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the segmentation of the intestine in a tunicate ascidian species, Ciona savignyi, by performing RNA sequencing. The gene expression profiles showed that the whole intestine was separated into three segments. Digestion, ion transport and signal transduction, and immune-related pathway genes were enriched in the proximal, middle, and distal parts of the intestine, respectively, implying that digestion, absorption, and immune function appear to be regional specializations in the ascidian intestine. We further performed a multi-species comparison analysis and found that the Ciona intestine showed a similar gene expression pattern to vertebrates, indicating tunicates and vertebrates might share the conserved intestinal functions. Intriguingly, vertebrate pancreatic homologous genes were expressed in the digestive segment of the Ciona intestine, suggesting that the proximal intestine might play the part of pancreatic functions in C. savignyi. Our results demonstrate that the tunicate intestine can be functionally separated into three distinct segments, which are comparable to the corresponding regions of the vertebrate intestinal system, offering insights into the functional evolution of the digestive system in chordates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Fang Zongxi Center, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - An Jiang
- Fang Zongxi Center, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Haiyan Yu
- Fang Zongxi Center, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Bo Dong
- Fang Zongxi Center, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laoshan Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
- MoE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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6
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Tabarraei H, Waddell BM, Raymond K, Murray SM, Wang Y, Choe KP, Wu CW. CCR4-NOT subunit CCF-1/CNOT7 promotes transcriptional activation to multiple stress responses in Caenorhabditis elegans. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13795. [PMID: 36797658 PMCID: PMC10086529 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
CCR4-NOT is a versatile eukaryotic protein complex that controls multiple steps in gene expression regulation from synthesis to decay. In yeast, CCR4-NOT has been implicated in stress response regulation, though this function in other organisms remains unclear. In a genome-wide RNAi screen, we identified a subunit of the CCR4-NOT complex, ccf-1, as a requirement for the C. elegans transcriptional response to cadmium and acrylamide stress. Using whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing, we show that the knockdown of ccf-1 attenuates the activation of a broad range of stress-protective genes in response to cadmium and acrylamide, including those encoding heat shock proteins and xenobiotic detoxification. Consistently, survival assays show that the knockdown of ccf-1 decreases C. elegans stress resistance and normal lifespan. A yeast 2-hybrid screen using a CCF-1 bait identified the homeobox transcription factor PAL-1 as a physical interactor. Knockdown of pal-1 inhibits the activation of ccf-1 dependent stress genes and reduces C. elegans stress resistance. Gene expression analysis reveals that knockdown of ccf-1 and pal-1 attenuates the activation of elt-2 and elt-3 under stress that encode master transcriptional co-regulators of stress response in the C. elegans, and that overexpression of ELT-2 can suppress ccf-1's requirement for gene transcription in a stress-dependent manner. Our findings reveal a new role for CCR4-NOT in the environmental stress response and define its role in stress resistance and longevity in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadi Tabarraei
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Brandon M Waddell
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Kelly Raymond
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Sydney M Murray
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Biology and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Keith P Choe
- Department of Biology and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Cheng-Wei Wu
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.,Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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7
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Celik C, Lee SYT, Yap WS, Thibault G. Endoplasmic reticulum stress and lipids in health and diseases. Prog Lipid Res 2023; 89:101198. [PMID: 36379317 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2022.101198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a complex and dynamic organelle that regulates many cellular pathways, including protein synthesis, protein quality control, and lipid synthesis. When one or multiple ER roles are dysregulated and saturated, the ER enters a stress state, which, in turn, activates the highly conserved unfolded protein response (UPR). By sensing the accumulation of unfolded proteins or lipid bilayer stress (LBS) at the ER, the UPR triggers pathways to restore ER homeostasis and eventually induces apoptosis if the stress remains unresolved. In recent years, it has emerged that the UPR works intimately with other cellular pathways to maintain lipid homeostasis at the ER, and so does at cellular levels. Lipid distribution, along with lipid anabolism and catabolism, are tightly regulated, in part, by the ER. Dysfunctional and overwhelmed lipid-related pathways, independently or in combination with ER stress, can have reciprocal effects on other cellular functions, contributing to the development of diseases. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the UPR in response to proteotoxic stress and LBS and the breadth of the functions mitigated by the UPR in different tissues and in the context of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cenk Celik
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | | | - Wei Sheng Yap
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Guillaume Thibault
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore.
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8
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Zhang L, Wang Y, Cao C, Zhu Y, Huang W, Yang Y, Qiu H, Liu S, Wang D. Beneficial effect of Xuebijing against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:949608. [PMID: 36120363 PMCID: PMC9470999 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.949608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the clinical intensive care units (ICU), the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation of Xuebijing has been frequently used for treating sepsis. Nevertheless, the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of Xuebijing remain largely unclear. Caenorhabditis elegans is an important experimental host for bacterial infections. Using C. elegans as an animal model, we here examined the potential of Xuebijing treatment against bacterial infection and the underlying mechanisms. Xuebijing treatment could inhibit the reduction tendency of lifespan caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. For the cellular mechanisms of this antibacterial infection property, we found that Xuebijing treatment rescued C. elegans lifespan to be against P. aeruginosa infection by inhibiting Pseudomonas colonization in the intestinal lumen. Meanwhile, the increase in the expression of antimicrobial genes induced by Pseudomonas infection was also suppressed by Xuebijing treatment. Moreover, the beneficial effect of Xuebijing against Pseudomonas infection depended on insulin, p38 MAPK, Wnt, DBL-1/TGF-β, ELT-2, and programmed cell death (PCD)-related signals. Although Xuebijing did not show obvious antibacterial activity, Xuebijing (100%) treatment could inhibit the Pseudomonas biofilm formation and decrease the expression of virulence genes (lasA, lasB, rhlA, rhlC, phzA, phzM, phzH, and phzS) and quorum sensing (QS)-related genes (lasI, lasR, rhlI, rhlR, pqsA, and pqsR). Our results support the potential role of Xuebijing treatment against bacterial infection in hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Zhang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuxing Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chang Cao
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yike Zhu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Haibo Qiu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Songqiao Liu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Songqiao Liu, ; Dayong Wang,
| | - Dayong Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Songqiao Liu, ; Dayong Wang,
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9
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Camacho J, de Conti A, Pogribny IP, Sprando RL, Hunt PR. Assessment of the effects of organic vs. inorganic arsenic and mercury in Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Res Toxicol 2022; 3:100071. [PMID: 35602005 PMCID: PMC9118485 DOI: 10.1016/j.crtox.2022.100071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposures to mercury and arsenic are known to pose significant threats to human health. Effects specific to organic vs. inorganic forms of these toxic elements are less understood however, especially for organic dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), which has recently been detected in pups of rodent dams orally exposed to inorganic sodium (meta)arsenite (NaAsO2). Caenorhabditis elegans is a small animal alternative toxicity model. To fill data gaps on the effects of DMA relative to NaAsO2, C. elegans were exposed to these two compounds alongside more thoroughly researched inorganic mercury chloride (HgCl2) and organic methylmercury chloride (meHgCl). For timing of developmental milestone acquisition in C. elegans, meHgCl was 2 to 4-fold more toxic than HgCl2, and NaAsO2 was 20-fold more toxic than DMA, ranking the four compounds meHgCl > HgCl2 > NaAsO2 ≫ DMA for developmental toxicity. Methylmercury induced significant decreases in population locomotor activity levels in developing C. elegans. DMA was also associated with developmental hypoactivity, but at >100-fold higher concentrations than meHgCl. Transcriptional alterations in native genes were observed in wild type C. elegans adults exposed to concentrations equitoxic for developmental delay in juveniles. Both forms of arsenic induced genes involved in immune defense and oxidative stress response, while the two mercury species induced proportionally more genes involved in transcriptional regulation. A transgenic bioreporter for activation of conserved proteosome specific unfolded protein response was strongly activated by NaAsO2, but not DMA at tested concentrations. HgCl2 and meHgCl had opposite effects on a bioreporter for unfolded protein response in the endoplasmic reticulum. Presented experiments indicating low toxicity for DMA in C. elegans are consistent with human epidemiologic data correlating higher arsenic methylation capacity with resistance to arsenic toxicity. This work contributes to the understanding of the accuracy and fit-for-use categories for C. elegans toxicity screening and its usefulness to prioritize compounds of concern for further testing.
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Key Words
- Alternative Toxicity Model
- Arsenic
- DEGs, Differentially Expressed Genes
- DMA, dimethylarsinic acid
- ER, endoplasmic reticulum
- EXT, extinction (a measure of optical density)
- GO, gene ontology
- HgCl2, mercury(ii) chloride
- Inorganic
- L1, first larval stage C. elegans
- LD50, the median lethal dose per kilogram of body weight
- LOEL, lowest observed effect level
- Mercury
- NOEL, no observed effect level
- NaAsO2, sodium (meta)arsenite
- Organic
- OxStrR, Oxidative Stress Response
- Predictive Toxicology
- TOF, time of flight (a measure of size)
- UPR, Unfolded Protein Response
- iAs, inorganic arsenic
- meHgCl, methylmercury chloride
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Camacho
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, United States
| | - Aline de Conti
- Food and Drug Administration, National Center for Toxicological Research, 3900 NCTR Rd, Jefferson, AR 72079, United States
| | - Igor P. Pogribny
- Food and Drug Administration, National Center for Toxicological Research, 3900 NCTR Rd, Jefferson, AR 72079, United States
| | - Robert L. Sprando
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, United States
| | - Piper Reid Hunt
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, United States
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10
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Campos JC, Wu Z, Rudich PD, Soo SK, Mistry M, Ferreira JC, Blackwell TK, Van Raamsdonk JM. Mild mitochondrial impairment enhances innate immunity and longevity through ATFS-1 and p38 signaling. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e52964. [PMID: 34617666 PMCID: PMC8647147 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202152964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
While mitochondrial function is essential for life in all multicellular organisms, a mild impairment of mitochondrial function can extend longevity in model organisms. By understanding the molecular mechanisms involved, these pathways might be targeted to promote healthy aging. In studying two long-lived mitochondrial mutants in C. elegans, we found that disrupting subunits of the mitochondrial electron transport chain results in upregulation of genes involved in innate immunity, which is driven by the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mitoUPR) but also dependent on the canonical p38-mediated innate immune signaling pathway. Both of these pathways are required for the increased resistance to bacterial pathogens and extended longevity of the long-lived mitochondrial mutants, as is the FOXO transcription factor DAF-16. This work demonstrates that both the p38-mediated innate immune signaling pathway and the mitoUPR act in concert on the same innate immunity genes to promote pathogen resistance and longevity and that input from the mitochondria can extend longevity by signaling through these pathways. This indicates that multiple evolutionarily conserved genetic pathways controlling innate immunity also function to modulate lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane C Campos
- Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ziyun Wu
- Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Paige D Rudich
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, and Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sonja K Soo
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, and Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Meeta Mistry
- Bioinformatics Core, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julio Cb Ferreira
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - T Keith Blackwell
- Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeremy M Van Raamsdonk
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, and Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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11
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Mariappan V, Vellasamy KM, Barathan M, Girija ASS, Shankar EM, Vadivelu J. Hijacking of the Host's Immune Surveillance Radars by Burkholderia pseudomallei. Front Immunol 2021; 12:718719. [PMID: 34456925 PMCID: PMC8384953 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.718719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pseudomallei) causes melioidosis, a potentially fatal disease for which no licensed vaccine is available thus far. The host-pathogen interactions in B. pseudomallei infection largely remain the tip of the iceberg. The pathological manifestations are protean ranging from acute to chronic involving one or more visceral organs leading to septic shock, especially in individuals with underlying conditions similar to COVID-19. Pathogenesis is attributed to the intracellular ability of the bacterium to ‘step into’ the host cell’s cytoplasm from the endocytotic vacuole, where it appears to polymerize actin filaments to spread across cells in the closer vicinity. B. pseudomallei effectively evades the host’s surveillance armory to remain latent for prolonged duration also causing relapses despite antimicrobial therapy. Therefore, eradication of intracellular B. pseudomallei is highly dependent on robust cellular immune responses. However, it remains ambiguous why certain individuals in endemic areas experience asymptomatic seroconversion, whereas others succumb to sepsis-associated sequelae. Here, we propose key insights on how the host’s surveillance radars get commandeered by B. pseudomallei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanitha Mariappan
- Center for Toxicology and Health Risk Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kumutha Malar Vellasamy
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Muttiah Barathan
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - A S Smiline Girija
- Department of Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, India
| | - Esaki M Shankar
- Infection Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, India
| | - Jamuna Vadivelu
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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12
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Radeke LJ, Herman MA. Take a Walk to the Wild Side of Caenorhabditis elegans-Pathogen Interactions. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2021; 85:e00146-20. [PMID: 33731489 PMCID: PMC8139523 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00146-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbiomes form intimate functional associations with their hosts. Much has been learned from correlating changes in microbiome composition to host organismal functions. However, in-depth functional studies require the manipulation of microbiome composition coupled with the precise interrogation of organismal physiology-features available in few host study systems. Caenorhabditis elegans has proven to be an excellent genetic model organism to study innate immunity and, more recently, microbiome interactions. The study of C. elegans-pathogen interactions has provided in depth understanding of innate immune pathways, many of which are conserved in other animals. However, many bacteria were chosen for these studies because of their convenience in the lab setting or their implication in human health rather than their native interactions with C. elegans In their natural environment, C. elegans feed on a variety of bacteria found in rotting organic matter, such as rotting fruits, flowers, and stems. Recent work has begun to characterize the native microbiome and has identified a common set of bacteria found in the microbiome of C. elegans While some of these bacteria are beneficial to C. elegans health, others are detrimental, leading to a complex, multifaceted understanding of bacterium-nematode interactions. Current research on nematode-bacterium interactions is focused on these native microbiome components, both their interactions with each other and with C. elegans We will summarize our knowledge of bacterial pathogen-host interactions in C. elegans, as well as recent work on the native microbiome, and explore the incorporation of these bacterium-nematode interactions into studies of innate immunity and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah J Radeke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Michael A Herman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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13
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Abstract
In its natural habitat, C. elegans encounters a wide variety of microbes, including food, commensals and pathogens. To be able to survive long enough to reproduce, C. elegans has developed a complex array of responses to pathogens. These activities are coordinated on scales that range from individual organelles to the entire organism. Often, the response is triggered within cells, by detection of infection-induced damage, mainly in the intestine or epidermis. C. elegans has, however, a capacity for cell non-autonomous regulation of these responses. This frequently involves the nervous system, integrating pathogen recognition, altering host biology and governing avoidance behavior. Although there are significant differences with the immune system of mammals, some mechanisms used to limit pathogenesis show remarkable phylogenetic conservation. The past 20 years have witnessed an explosion of host-pathogen interaction studies using C. elegans as a model. This review will discuss the broad themes that have emerged and highlight areas that remain to be fully explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline N Martineau
- Aix Marseille Université, Inserm, CNRS, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | | | - Nathalie Pujol
- Aix Marseille Université, Inserm, CNRS, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France.
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14
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Ewe CK, Alok G, Rothman JH. Stressful development: integrating endoderm development, stress, and longevity. Dev Biol 2020; 471:34-48. [PMID: 33307045 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In addition to performing digestion and nutrient absorption, the intestine serves as one of the first barriers to the external environment, crucial for protecting the host from environmental toxins, pathogenic invaders, and other stress inducers. The gene regulatory network (GRN) governing embryonic development of the endoderm and subsequent differentiation and maintenance of the intestine has been well-documented in C. elegans. A key regulatory input that initiates activation of the embryonic GRN for endoderm and mesoderm in this animal is the maternally provided SKN-1 transcription factor, an ortholog of the vertebrate Nrf1 and 2, which, like C. elegans SKN-1, perform conserved regulatory roles in mediating a variety of stress responses across metazoan phylogeny. Other key regulatory factors in early gut development also participate in stress response as well as in innate immunity and aging and longevity. In this review, we discuss the intersection between genetic nodes that mediate endoderm/intestine differentiation and regulation of stress and homeostasis. We also consider how direct signaling from the intestine to the germline, in some cases involving SKN-1, facilitates heritable epigenetic changes, allowing transmission of adaptive stress responses across multiple generations. These connections between regulation of endoderm/intestine development and stress response mechanisms suggest that varying selective pressure exerted on the stress response pathways may influence the architecture of the endoderm GRN, thereby leading to genetic and epigenetic variation in early embryonic GRN regulatory events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Kiang Ewe
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Geneva Alok
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Joel H Rothman
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
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15
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Eurmsirilerd E, Maduro MF. Evolution of Developmental GATA Factors in Nematodes. J Dev Biol 2020; 8:jdb8040027. [PMID: 33207804 PMCID: PMC7712238 DOI: 10.3390/jdb8040027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
GATA transcription factors are found in animals, plants, and fungi. In animals, they have important developmental roles in controlling specification of cell identities and executing tissue-specific differentiation. The Phylum Nematoda is a diverse group of vermiform animals that inhabit ecological niches all over the world. Both free-living and parasitic species are known, including those that cause human infectious disease. To date, GATA factors in nematodes have been studied almost exclusively in the model system C. elegans and its close relatives. In this study, we use newly available sequences to identify GATA factors across the nematode phylum. We find that most species have fewer than six GATA factors, but some species have 10 or more. Comparisons of gene and protein structure suggest that there were at most two GATA factors at the base of the phylum, which expanded by duplication and modification to result in a core set of four factors. The high degree of structural similarity with the corresponding orthologues in C. elegans suggests that the nematode GATA factors share similar functions in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Eurmsirilerd
- Undergraduate Program in Biology, Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA;
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Morris F. Maduro
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Correspondence:
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16
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Combining Auxin-Induced Degradation and RNAi Screening Identifies Novel Genes Involved in Lipid Bilayer Stress Sensing in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:3921-3928. [PMID: 32958476 PMCID: PMC7642917 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Alteration of the lipid composition of biological membranes interferes with their function and can cause tissue damage by triggering apoptosis. Upon lipid bilayer stress, the endoplasmic reticulum mounts a stress response similar to the unfolded protein response. However, only a few genes are known to regulate lipid bilayer stress. We performed a suppressor screen that combined the auxin-inducible degradation (AID) system with conventional RNAi in C. elegans to identify members of the lipid bilayer stress response. AID-mediated degradation of the mediator MDT-15, a protein required for the upregulation of fatty acid desaturases, induced the activation of lipid bilayer stress-sensitive reporters. We screened through most C. elegans kinases and transcription factors by feeding RNAi. We discovered nine genes that suppressed the lipid bilayer stress response in C. elegans. These suppressor genes included drl-1/MAP3K3, gsk-3/GSK3, let-607/CREB3, ire-1/IRE1, and skn-1/NRF1,2,3. Our candidate suppressor genes suggest a network of transcription factors and the integration of multiple tissues for a centralized lipotoxicity response in the intestine. Thus, we demonstrated proof-of-concept for combining AID and RNAi as a new screening strategy and identified eight conserved genes that had not previously been implicated in the lipid bilayer stress response.
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17
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Lee K, Escobar I, Jang Y, Kim W, Ausubel FM, Mylonakis E. In the Model Host Caenorhabditis elegans, Sphingosine-1-Phosphate-Mediated Signaling Increases Immunity toward Human Opportunistic Bacteria. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21217813. [PMID: 33105563 PMCID: PMC7672543 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21217813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sphingosine-1-phophate (S1P) is a sphingolipid-derived signaling molecule that controls diverse cellular functions including cell growth, homeostasis, and stress responses. In a variety of metazoans, cytosolic S1P is transported into the extracellular space where it activates S1P receptors in a concentration-dependent manner. In the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the spin-2 gene, which encodes a S1P transporter, is activated during Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacterial infection of the intestine. However, the role during infection of spin-2 and three additional genes in the C. elegans genome encoding other putative S1P transporters has not been elucidated. Here, we report an evolutionally conserved function for S1P and a non-canonical role for S1P transporters in the C. elegans immune response to bacterial pathogens. We found that mutations in the sphingosine kinase gene (sphk-1) or in the S1P transporter genes spin-2 or spin-3 decreased nematode survival after infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Enterococcus faecalis. In contrast to spin-2 and spin-3, mutating spin-1 leads to an increase in resistance to P. aeruginosa. Consistent with these results, when wild-type C. elegans were supplemented with extracellular S1P, we found an increase in their lifespan when challenged with P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis. In comparison, spin-2 and spin-3 mutations suppressed the ability of S1P to rescue the worms from pathogen-mediated killing, whereas the spin-1 mutation had no effect on the immune-enhancing activity of S1P. S1P demonstrated no antimicrobial activity toward P. aeruginosa and Escherichia coli and only minimal activity against E. faecalis MMH594 (40 µM). These data suggest that spin-2 and spin-3, on the one hand, and spin-1, on the other hand, transport S1P across cellular membranes in opposite directions. Finally, the immune modulatory effect of S1P was diminished in C. eleganssek-1 and pmk-1 mutants, suggesting that the immunomodulatory effects of S1P are mediated by the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiho Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA; (K.L.); (I.E.); (Y.J.)
| | - Iliana Escobar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA; (K.L.); (I.E.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yeeun Jang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA; (K.L.); (I.E.); (Y.J.)
| | - Wooseong Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea;
| | - Frederick M. Ausubel
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA;
| | - Eleftherios Mylonakis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA; (K.L.); (I.E.); (Y.J.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-401-444-7856
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18
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Zárate-Potes A, Yang W, Pees B, Schalkowski R, Segler P, Andresen B, Haase D, Nakad R, Rosenstiel P, Tetreau G, Colletier JP, Schulenburg H, Dierking K. The C. elegans GATA transcription factor elt-2 mediates distinct transcriptional responses and opposite infection outcomes towards different Bacillus thuringiensis strains. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008826. [PMID: 32970778 PMCID: PMC7513999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been extensively used as a model for the study of innate immune responses against bacterial pathogens. While it is well established that the worm mounts distinct transcriptional responses to different bacterial species, it is still unclear in how far it can fine-tune its response to different strains of a single pathogen species, especially if the strains vary in virulence and infection dynamics. To rectify this knowledge gap, we systematically analyzed the C. elegans response to two strains of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), MYBt18247 (Bt247) and MYBt18679 (Bt679), which produce different pore forming toxins (PFTs) and vary in infection dynamics. We combined host transcriptomics with cytopathological characterizations and identified both a common and also a differentiated response to the two strains, the latter comprising almost 10% of the infection responsive genes. Functional genetic analyses revealed that the AP-1 component gene jun-1 mediates the common response to both Bt strains. In contrast, the strain-specific response is mediated by the C. elegans GATA transcription factor ELT-2, a homolog of Drosophila SERPENT and vertebrate GATA4-6, and a known master regulator of intestinal responses in the nematode. elt-2 RNAi knockdown decreased resistance to Bt679, but remarkably, increased survival on Bt247. The elt-2 silencing-mediated increase in survival was characterized by reduced intestinal tissue damage despite a high pathogen burden and might thus involve increased tolerance. Additional functional genetic analyses confirmed the involvement of distinct signaling pathways in the C. elegans defense response: the p38-MAPK pathway acts either directly with or in parallel to elt-2 in mediating resistance to Bt679 infection but is not required for protection against Bt247. Our results further suggest that the elt-2 silencing-mediated increase in survival on Bt247 is multifactorial, influenced by the nuclear hormone receptors NHR-99 and NHR-193, and may further involve lipid metabolism and detoxification. Our study highlights that the nematode C. elegans with its comparatively simple immune defense system is capable of generating a differentiated response to distinct strains of the same pathogen species. Importantly, our study provides a molecular insight into the diversity of biological processes that are influenced by a single master regulator and jointly determine host survival after pathogen infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Zárate-Potes
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Wentao Yang
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Barbara Pees
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Rebecca Schalkowski
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Philipp Segler
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Bentje Andresen
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniela Haase
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Rania Nakad
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Philip Rosenstiel
- Institute for Clinical Molecular Biology (IKMB), Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Guillaume Tetreau
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Hinrich Schulenburg
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Ploen, Germany
| | - Katja Dierking
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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19
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Burkholderia pseudomallei pathogenesis and survival in different niches. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 48:569-579. [PMID: 32167134 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp) is the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease of the tropics with high clinical mortality rates. To date, no vaccines are approved for melioidosis and current treatment relies on antibiotics. Conversely, common misdiagnosis and high pathogenicity of Bp hamper efforts to fight melioidosis. This bacterium can be isolated from a wide range of niches such as waterlogged fields, stagnant water bodies, salt water bodies and from human and animal clinical specimens. Although extensive studies have been undertaken to elucidate pathogenesis mechanisms of Bp, little is known about how a harmless soil bacterium adapts to different environmental conditions, in particular, the shift to a human host to become a highly virulent pathogen. The bacterium has a large genome encoding an armory of factors that assist the pathogen in surviving under stressful conditions and assuming its role as a deadly intracellular pathogen. This review presents an overview of what is currently known about how the pathogen adapts to different environments. With in-depth understanding of Bp adaptation and survival, more effective therapies for melioidosis can be developed by targeting related genes or proteins that play a major role in the bacteria's survival.
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20
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Ewe CK, Torres Cleuren YN, Rothman JH. Evolution and Developmental System Drift in the Endoderm Gene Regulatory Network of Caenorhabditis and Other Nematodes. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:170. [PMID: 32258041 PMCID: PMC7093329 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental gene regulatory networks (GRNs) underpin metazoan embryogenesis and have undergone substantial modification to generate the tremendous variety of animal forms present on Earth today. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been a central model for advancing many important discoveries in fundamental mechanistic biology and, more recently, has provided a strong base from which to explore the evolutionary diversification of GRN architecture and developmental processes in other species. In this short review, we will focus on evolutionary diversification of the GRN for the most ancient of the embryonic germ layers, the endoderm. Early embryogenesis diverges considerably across the phylum Nematoda. Notably, while some species deploy regulative development, more derived species, such as C. elegans, exhibit largely mosaic modes of embryogenesis. Despite the relatively similar morphology of the nematode gut across species, widespread variation has been observed in the signaling inputs that initiate the endoderm GRN, an exemplar of developmental system drift (DSD). We will explore how genetic variation in the endoderm GRN helps to drive DSD at both inter- and intraspecies levels, thereby resulting in a robust developmental system. Comparative studies using divergent nematodes promise to unveil the genetic mechanisms controlling developmental plasticity and provide a paradigm for the principles governing evolutionary modification of an embryonic GRN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Kiang Ewe
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | | | - Joel H. Rothman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
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21
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Jeong DE, Lee Y, Ham S, Lee D, Kwon S, Park HEH, Hwang SY, Yoo JY, Roh TY, Lee SJV. Inhibition of the oligosaccharyl transferase in Caenorhabditis elegans that compromises ER proteostasis suppresses p38-dependent protection against pathogenic bacteria. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008617. [PMID: 32130226 PMCID: PMC7055741 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The oligosaccharyl transferase (OST) protein complex mediates the N-linked glycosylation of substrate proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which regulates stability, activity, and localization of its substrates. Although many OST substrate proteins have been identified, the physiological role of the OST complex remains incompletely understood. Here we show that the OST complex in C. elegans is crucial for ER protein homeostasis and defense against infection with pathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA14), via immune-regulatory PMK-1/p38 MAP kinase. We found that genetic inhibition of the OST complex impaired protein processing in the ER, which in turn up-regulated ER unfolded protein response (UPRER). We identified vitellogenin VIT-6 as an OST-dependent glycosylated protein, critical for maintaining survival on PA14. We also showed that the OST complex was required for up-regulation of PMK-1 signaling upon infection with PA14. Our study demonstrates that an evolutionarily conserved OST complex, crucial for ER homeostasis, regulates host defense mechanisms against pathogenic bacteria. N-linked glycosylation is essential for the function of various proteins, but its effects on physiology at an organism level remain poorly understood. Using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, we show that the oligosaccharyl transferase (OST) complex, which mediates the N-glycosylation of substrate proteins in the ER, reduces susceptibility to pathogenic bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We find that OST enhances defense against P. aeruginosa via maintenance of ER unfolded protein response (UPRER) and up-regulation of cytosolic p38 MAP kinase signaling. Our findings propose an intriguing model for the organellar crosstalk between the ER and the cytosol in host defense mechanisms. Because the OST complex components are highly conserved among eukaryotes, our study on the regulation of cellular signaling and C. elegans physiology by the OST complex will provide an insight into the function of its mammalian counterpart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae-Eun Jeong
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea
| | - Yujin Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Seokjin Ham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Dongyeop Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea
| | - Sujeong Kwon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hae-Eun H. Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Sun-Young Hwang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea
| | - Joo-Yeon Yoo
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea
| | - Tae-Young Roh
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea
| | - Seung-Jae V. Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
- * E-mail:
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22
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Shao H, Wang D. Long-term and low-dose exposure to nanopolystyrene induces a protective strategy to maintain functional state of intestine barrier in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 258:113649. [PMID: 31767235 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Functional state of intestinal barrier plays an important role for environmental animals in being against various toxicants. We investigated GATA transcriptional factor ELT-2-mediated intestinal response to nanopolystyrere in Caenorhabditis elegans. Prolonged exposure to nanopolystyrene (≥1 μg/L) induced an increase in expression of ELT-2, and intestinal RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown of elt-2 caused enhancement in intestinal permeability. Meanwhile, mutation of elt-2 resulted in susceptibility to nanopolystyrene toxicity, and ELT-2 functioned in intestine to regulate the nanopolystyrene toxicity. ERM-1, CLEC-63, and CLEC-85 were identified as targets of ELT-2 in regulating the nanopolystyrene toxicity. ERM-1 was required for maintaining functional state in intestinal barrier, and functioned synergistically with CLEC-63 or CLEC-85 to regulate nanopolystyrene toxicity. Therefore, activation of intestinal ELT-2 by nanopolystyrere could mediate a protective strategy to maintain the functional state of intestinal barrier. During this process, intestinal ELT-2 activated two different molecular signals (ERM-1 signal and CLEC-63/85 signal) for nematodes against the nanopolystyrene toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Shao
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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23
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Rajan M, Anderson CP, Rindler PM, Romney SJ, Ferreira dos Santos MC, Gertz J, Leibold EA. NHR-14 loss of function couples intestinal iron uptake with innate immunity in C. elegans through PQM-1 signaling. eLife 2019; 8:e44674. [PMID: 31532389 PMCID: PMC6777940 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron is essential for survival of most organisms. All organisms have thus developed mechanisms to sense, acquire and sequester iron. In C. elegans, iron uptake and sequestration are regulated by HIF-1. We previously showed that hif-1 mutants are developmentally delayed when grown under iron limitation. Here we identify nhr-14, encoding a nuclear receptor, in a screen conducted for mutations that rescue the developmental delay of hif-1 mutants under iron limitation. nhr-14 loss upregulates the intestinal metal transporter SMF-3 to increase iron uptake in hif-1 mutants. nhr-14 mutants display increased expression of innate immune genes and DAF-16/FoxO-Class II genes, and enhanced resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These responses are dependent on the transcription factor PQM-1, which localizes to intestinal cell nuclei in nhr-14 mutants. Our data reveal how C. elegans utilizes nuclear receptors to regulate innate immunity and iron availability, and show iron sequestration as a component of the innate immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malini Rajan
- Department of Medicine, Division of HematologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
- Molecular Medicine ProgramUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Cole P Anderson
- Molecular Medicine ProgramUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
- Department of Oncological SciencesUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Paul M Rindler
- Department of Medicine, Division of HematologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
- Molecular Medicine ProgramUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Steven Joshua Romney
- Department of Medicine, Division of HematologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
- Molecular Medicine ProgramUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Maria C Ferreira dos Santos
- Department of Medicine, Division of HematologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
- Molecular Medicine ProgramUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Jason Gertz
- Department of Oncological SciencesUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
- Huntsman Cancer InstituteUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
| | - Elizabeth A Leibold
- Department of Medicine, Division of HematologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
- Molecular Medicine ProgramUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
- Department of Oncological SciencesUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUnited States
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24
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The C. elegans intestine: organogenesis, digestion, and physiology. Cell Tissue Res 2019; 377:383-396. [DOI: 10.1007/s00441-019-03036-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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25
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Fletcher M, Tillman EJ, Butty VL, Levine SS, Kim DH. Global transcriptional regulation of innate immunity by ATF-7 in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007830. [PMID: 30789901 PMCID: PMC6400416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a genetically tractable animal host in which to study evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of innate immune signaling. We previously showed that the PMK-1 p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway regulates innate immunity of C. elegans through phosphorylation of the CREB/ATF bZIP transcription factor, ATF-7. Here, we have undertaken a genomic analysis of the transcriptional response of C. elegans to infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, combining genome-wide expression analysis by RNA-seq with ATF-7 chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-Seq). We observe that PMK-1-ATF-7 activity regulates a majority of all genes induced by pathogen infection, and observe ATF-7 occupancy in regulatory regions of pathogen-induced genes in a PMK-1-dependent manner. Moreover, functional analysis of a subset of these ATF-7-regulated pathogen-induced target genes supports a direct role for this transcriptional response in host defense. The genome-wide regulation through PMK-1- ATF-7 signaling reveals a striking level of control over the innate immune response to infection through a single transcriptional regulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Fletcher
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Erik J. Tillman
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Vincent L. Butty
- BioMicro Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stuart S. Levine
- BioMicro Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Dennis H. Kim
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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26
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Liu L, Ruediger C, Shapira M. Integration of Stress Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans Through Cell-Nonautonomous Contributions of the JNK Homolog KGB-1. Genetics 2018; 210:1317-1328. [PMID: 30291110 PMCID: PMC6283176 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dealing with physiological stress is a necessity for all organisms, and the pathways charged with this task are highly conserved in Metazoa . Accumulating evidence highlights cell-nonautonomous activation as an important mode of integrating stress responses at the organism level. Work in Caenorhabditis elegans highlighted the importance of such regulation for the unfolded protein response (UPR) and for gene expression downstream of the longevity-associated transcription factor DAF-16 Here we describe a role for the JNK homolog KGB-1 in cell-nonautonomous regulation of these two response modules. KGB-1 protects developing larvae from heavy metals and from protein folding stress (which we found to be independent of canonical UPR pathways), but sensitizes adults to the same stress, further shortening life span under normal conditions. This switch is associated with age-dependent antagonistic regulation of DAF-16 Using transgenic tissue-specific KGB-1 expression or tissue-specific KGB-1 activation we examined the contributions of KGB-1 to gene regulation, stress resistance, and life span. While cell-autonomous contributions were observed, particularly in the epidermis, cell-nonautonomous contributions of neuronal KGB-1 (and also in muscle) were effective in driving intestinal gene induction, age-dependent regulation of intestinal DAF-16, and stress resistance, and did not require KGB-1 expression in the target tissue. Additional genetic analyses revealed requirement for UNC-13 in mediating neuronal contributions, indicating involvement of neurotransmission. Our results expand the role of KGB-1 in stress responses from providing local cellular protection to integrating stress responses at the level of the whole organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limeng Liu
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Cyrus Ruediger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Michael Shapira
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley, California 94720
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27
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Non-proteolytic activity of 19S proteasome subunit RPT-6 regulates GATA transcription during response to infection. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007693. [PMID: 30265660 PMCID: PMC6179307 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
GATA transcription factors play a crucial role in the regulation of immune functions across metazoans. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the GATA transcription factor ELT-2 is involved in the control of not only infections but also recovery after an infection. We identified RPT-6, part of the 19S proteasome subunit, as an ELT-2 binding partner that is required for the proper expression of genes required for both immunity against bacterial infections and recovery after infection. We found that the intact ATPase domain of RPT-6 is required for the interaction and that inhibition of rpt-6 affected the expression of ELT-2-controlled genes, preventing the appropriate immune response against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and recovery from infection by the pathogen. Further studies indicated that SKN-1, which is an Nrf transcription factor involved in the response to oxidative stress and infection, is activated by inhibition of rpt-6. Our results indicate that RPT-6 interacts with ELT-2 in vivo to control the expression of immune genes in a manner that is likely independent of the proteolytic activity of the proteasome. The conserved GATA transcription factor ELT-2 plays an important role in the control of genes required for both defense and recovery from infection. We show that RPT-6, a component of the 19S subunit, physically interacts with ELT-2 in vivo, controlling the expression of ELT-2-dependent genes and the response of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to bacterial infection. The proteolytic activity of the proteasome has surfaced as a key regulator of gene expression, but our results provide evidence indicating that a non-canonical activity of the 26S proteasome subunit plays an important role in the control of gene expression during the response to bacterial infection.
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28
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Chen YW, Ko WC, Chen CS, Chen PL. RIOK-1 Is a Suppressor of the p38 MAPK Innate Immune Pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Immunol 2018; 9:774. [PMID: 29719537 PMCID: PMC5913292 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate immunity is the primary defense mechanism against infection in metazoans. However, aberrant upregulation of innate immune-signaling pathways can also be detrimental to the host. The p38 MAPK/PMK-1 innate immune-signaling pathway has been demonstrated to play essential roles in cellular defenses against numerous infections in metazoans, including Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the negative regulators that maintain the homeostasis of this important innate immune pathway remain largely understudied. By screening a focused RNAi library against the kinome of C. elegans, we identified RIOK-1, a human RIO kinase homolog, as a novel suppressor of the p38 MAPK/PMK-1 signal pathway. We demonstrated that the suppression of riok-1 confers resistance to Aeromonas dhakensis infection in C. elegans. Using quantitative real time-PCR and riok-1 reporter worms, we found the expression levels of riok-1 to be significantly upregulated in worms infected with A. dhakensis. Our genetic epistasis analysis suggested that riok-1 acts on the upstream of the p38 MAPK/pmk-1 genetic pathway. Moreover, the suppression of riok-1 enhanced the p38 MAPK signal, suggesting that riok-1 is a negative regulator of this innate pathway in C. elegans. Our epistatic results put riok-1 downstream of skn-1, which encodes a p38 MAPK downstream transcription factor and serves as a feedback loop to the p38 MAPK pathway during an A. dhakensis infection. In conclusion, riok-1 is proposed as a novel innate immune suppressor and as a negative feedback loop model involving p38 MAPK, SKN-1, and RIOK-1 in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Wei Chen
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chien Ko
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Shi Chen
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Po-Lin Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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29
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The Oxidative Stress Response in Caenorhabditis elegans Requires the GATA Transcription Factor ELT-3 and SKN-1/Nrf2. Genetics 2017; 206:1909-1922. [PMID: 28600327 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.198788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular damage caused by reactive oxygen species is believed to be a major contributor to age-associated diseases. Previously, we characterized the Caenorhabditis elegans Brap2 ortholog (BRAP-2) and found that it is required to prevent larval arrest in response to elevated levels of oxidative stress. Here, we report that C. elegans brap-2 mutants display increased expression of SKN-1-dependent, phase II detoxification enzymes that is dependent on PMK-1 (a p38 MAPK C. elegans ortholog). An RNA-interference screen was conducted using a transcription factor library to identify genes required for increased expression of the SKN-1 target gst-4 in brap-2 mutants. We identified ELT-3, a member of the GATA transcription factor family, as a positive regulator of gst-4p::gfp expression. We found that ELT-3 interacts with SKN-1 to activate gst-4 transcription in vitro and that elt-3 is required for enhanced gst-4 expression in the brap-2(ok1492) mutant in vivo Furthermore, nematodes overexpressing SKN-1 required ELT-3 for life-span extension. Taken together, these results suggest a model where BRAP-2 acts as negative regulator of SKN-1 through inhibition of p38 MAPK activity, and that the GATA transcription factor ELT-3 is required along with SKN-1 for the phase II detoxification response in C. elegans.
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30
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Zhang F, Berg M, Dierking K, Félix MA, Shapira M, Samuel BS, Schulenburg H. Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model for Microbiome Research. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:485. [PMID: 28386252 PMCID: PMC5362939 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is used as a central model system across biological disciplines. Surprisingly, almost all research with this worm is performed in the absence of its native microbiome, possibly affecting generality of the obtained results. In fact, the C. elegans microbiome had been unknown until recently. This review brings together results from the first three studies on C. elegans microbiomes, all published in 2016. Meta-analysis of the data demonstrates a considerable conservation in the composition of the microbial communities, despite the distinct geographical sample origins, study approaches, labs involved and perturbations during worm processing. The C. elegans microbiome is enriched and in some cases selective for distinct phylotypes compared to corresponding substrate samples (e.g., rotting fruits, decomposing plant matter, and compost soil). The dominant bacterial groups include several Gammaproteobacteria (Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonaceae, and Xanthomonodaceae) and Bacteroidetes (Sphingobacteriaceae, Weeksellaceae, Flavobacteriaceae). They are consistently joined by several rare putative keystone taxa like Acetobacteriaceae. The bacteria are able to enhance growth of nematode populations, as well as resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors, including high/low temperatures, osmotic stress, and pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The associated microbes thus appear to display a variety of effects beneficial for the worm. The characteristics of these effects, their relevance for C. elegans fitness, the presence of specific co-adaptations between microbiome members and the worm, and the molecular underpinnings of microbiome-host interactions represent promising areas of future research, for which the advantages of C. elegans as an experimental system should prove of particular value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maureen Berg
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Katja Dierking
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel Kiel, Germany
| | - Marie-Anne Félix
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, ENS, PSL Research University Paris, France
| | - Michael Shapira
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Buck S Samuel
- Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA
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31
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Zhi L, Yu Y, Li X, Wang D, Wang D. Molecular Control of Innate Immune Response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection by Intestinal let-7 in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006152. [PMID: 28095464 PMCID: PMC5271417 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The microRNA (miRNA) let-7 is an important miRNA identified in Caenorhabditis elegans and has been shown to be involved in the control of innate immunity. The underlying molecular mechanisms for let-7 regulation of innate immunity remain largely unclear. In this study, we investigated the molecular basis for intestinal let-7 in the regulation of innate immunity. Infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 decreased let-7::GFP expression. Intestine- or neuron-specific activity of let-7 was required for its function in the regulation of innate immunity. During the control of innate immune response to P. aeruginosa PA14 infection, SDZ-24 was identified as a direct target for intestinal let-7. SDZ-24 was found to be predominantly expressed in the intestine, and P. aeruginosa PA14 infection increased SDZ-24::GFP expression. Intestinal let-7 regulated innate immune response to P. aeruginosa PA14 infection by suppressing both the expression and the function of SDZ-24. Knockout or RNA interference knockdown of sdz-24 dampened the resistance of let-7 mutant to P. aeruginosa PA14 infection. Intestinal overexpression of sdz-24 lacking 3'-UTR inhibited the susceptibility of nematodes overexpressing intestinal let-7 to P. aeruginosa PA14 infection. In contrast, we could observed the effects of intestinal let-7 on innate immunity in P. aeruginosa PA14 infected transgenic strain overexpressing sdz-24 containing 3'-UTR. In the intestine, certain SDZ-24-mediated signaling cascades were formed for nematodes against the P. aeruginosa PA14 infection. Our results highlight the crucial role of intestinal miRNAs in the regulation of the innate immune response to pathogenic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingtong Zhi
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases in Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yonglin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases in Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xueying Li
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases in Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Daoyong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases in Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases in Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- * E-mail:
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32
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Maduro MF. Gut development in C. elegans. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 66:3-11. [PMID: 28065852 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Revised: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The midgut (intestine) of the nematode, C. elegans, is a tube consisting of 20 cells that arises from a single embryonic precursor. Owing to its comparatively simple anatomy and the advantages inherent to the C. elegans system, the gut has been used as a model for organogenesis for more than 25 years. In this review, the salient features of C. elegans gut development are described from the E progenitor through to the 20-cell intestine. The core gene regulatory network that drives specification of the gut, and other genes with roles in organogenesis, lumen morphogenesis and the cell cycle, are also described. Questions for future work are posed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morris F Maduro
- Biology Department, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States.
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Liu Y, Sellegounder D, Sun J. Neuronal GPCR OCTR-1 regulates innate immunity by controlling protein synthesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36832. [PMID: 27833098 PMCID: PMC5104976 DOI: 10.1038/srep36832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Upon pathogen infection, microbial killing pathways and cellular stress pathways are rapidly activated by the host innate immune system. These pathways must be tightly regulated because insufficient or excessive immune responses have deleterious consequences. Increasing evidence indicates that the nervous system regulates the immune system to confer coordinated protection to the host. However, the precise mechanisms of neural-immune communication remain unclear. Previously we have demonstrated that OCTR-1, a neuronal G protein-coupled receptor, functions in the sensory neurons ASH and ASI to suppress innate immune responses in non-neural tissues against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Caenorhabditis elegans. In the current study, by using a mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics approach, we discovered that OCTR-1 regulates innate immunity by suppressing translation and the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathways at the protein level. Functional assays revealed that OCTR-1 inhibits specific protein synthesis factors such as ribosomal protein RPS-1 and translation initiation factor EIF-3.J to reduce infection-triggered protein synthesis and UPR. Translational inhibition by chemicals abolishes the OCTR-1-controlled innate immune responses, indicating that activation of the OCTR-1 pathway is dependent on translation upregulation such as that induced by pathogen infection. Because OCTR-1 downregulates protein translation activities, the OCTR-1 pathway could function to suppress excessive responses to infection or to restore protein homeostasis after infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyong Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington, USA
| | - Durai Sellegounder
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington, USA
| | - Jingru Sun
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington, USA
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34
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Head BP, Olaitan AO, Aballay A. Role of GATA transcription factor ELT-2 and p38 MAPK PMK-1 in recovery from acute P. aeruginosa infection in C. elegans. Virulence 2016; 8:261-274. [PMID: 27600703 PMCID: PMC5411242 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2016.1222334] [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] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens reduce the fitness of their associated host but are generally limited in duration. In order for the diseased host to regain any lost fitness upon recovery, a variety of molecular, cellular, and physiological processes must be employed. To better understand mechanisms underlying the recovery process, we have modeled an acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in C. elegans using brief exposures to this pathogen and subsequent antibiotic treatment. To identify host genes altered during recovery from P. aeruginosa infection, we performed whole genome expression profiling. The analysis of this dataset indicated that the activity of the host immune system is down-regulated upon recovery and revealed shared and pathogen-specific host responses during recovery. We determined that the GATA transcription factor ELT-2 and the p38 MAP kinase PMK-1 are necessary for animals to successfully recover from an acute P. aeruginosa infection. In addition, we found that ELT-2 plays a more prominent and earlier role than PMK-1 during recovery. Our data sheds further light on the molecular mechanisms and transcriptional programs involved in recovery from an acute bacterial infection, which provides a better understanding of the entire infectious disease process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P Head
- a Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology , Duke University Medical Center , Durham , NC , USA
| | - Abiola O Olaitan
- a Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology , Duke University Medical Center , Durham , NC , USA
| | - Alejandro Aballay
- a Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology , Duke University Medical Center , Durham , NC , USA
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GATA transcription factor as a likely key regulator of the Caenorhabditis elegans innate immune response against gut pathogens. ZOOLOGY 2016; 119:244-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2016.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Munkácsy E, Khan MH, Lane RK, Borror MB, Park JH, Bokov AF, Fisher AL, Link CD, Rea SL. DLK-1, SEK-3 and PMK-3 Are Required for the Life Extension Induced by Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Disruption in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006133. [PMID: 27420916 PMCID: PMC4946786 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction underlies numerous age-related pathologies. In an effort to uncover how the detrimental effects of mitochondrial dysfunction might be alleviated, we examined how the nematode C. elegans not only adapts to disruption of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, but in many instances responds with extended lifespan. Studies have shown various retrograde responses are activated in these animals, including the well-studied ATFS-1-dependent mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt). Such processes fall under the greater rubric of cellular surveillance mechanisms. Here we identify a novel p38 signaling cascade that is required to extend life when the mitochondrial electron transport chain is disrupted in worms, and which is blocked by disruption of the Mitochondrial-associated Degradation (MAD) pathway. This novel cascade is defined by DLK-1 (MAP3K), SEK-3 (MAP2K), PMK-3 (MAPK) and the reporter gene Ptbb-6::GFP. Inhibition of known mitochondrial retrograde responses does not alter induction of Ptbb-6::GFP, instead induction of this reporter often occurs in counterpoint to activation of SKN-1, which we show is under the control of ATFS-1. In those mitochondrial bioenergetic mutants which activate Ptbb-6::GFP, we find that dlk-1, sek-3 and pmk-3 are all required for their life extension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Munkácsy
- The Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Cellular & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Maruf H. Khan
- The Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Medicine (Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Medicine), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rebecca K. Lane
- The Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Megan B. Borror
- The Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jae H. Park
- The Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alex F. Bokov
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alfred L. Fisher
- Department of Medicine (Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Medicine), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, South Texas VA Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Healthy Aging, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Christopher D. Link
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics & Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Shane L. Rea
- The Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
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Mann FG, Van Nostrand EL, Friedland AE, Liu X, Kim SK. Deactivation of the GATA Transcription Factor ELT-2 Is a Major Driver of Normal Aging in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005956. [PMID: 27070429 PMCID: PMC4829211 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand the molecular processes underlying aging, we screened modENCODE ChIP-seq data to identify transcription factors that bind to age-regulated genes in C. elegans. The most significant hit was the GATA transcription factor encoded by elt-2, which is responsible for inducing expression of intestinal genes during embryogenesis. Expression of ELT-2 decreases during aging, beginning in middle age. We identified genes regulated by ELT-2 in the intestine during embryogenesis, and then showed that these developmental genes markedly decrease in expression as worms grow old. Overexpression of elt-2 extends lifespan and slows the rate of gene expression changes that occur during normal aging. Thus, our results identify the developmental regulator ELT-2 as a major driver of normal aging in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick G Mann
- Departments of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Eric L Van Nostrand
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Ari E Friedland
- Editas Medicine, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xiao Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Stuart K Kim
- Departments of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California, United States of America
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Block DH, Shapira M. GATA transcription factors as tissue-specific master regulators for induced responses. WORM 2015; 4:e1118607. [PMID: 27123374 PMCID: PMC4826149 DOI: 10.1080/21624054.2015.1118607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
GATA transcription factors play important roles in directing developmental genetic programs and cell differentiation, and are conserved in animals, plants and fungi. C. elegans has 11 GATA-type transcription factors that orchestrate development of the gut, epidermis and vulva. However, the expression of certain GATA proteins persists into adulthood, where their function is less understood. Accumulating evidence demonstrates contributions of 2 terminal differentiation GATA transcription factors, ELT-2 and ELT-3, to epithelial immune responses in the adult intestine and epidermis (hypodermis), respectively. Involvement in other stress responses has also been documented. We recently showed that ELT-2 acted as a tissue-specific master regulator, cooperating with 2 transcription factors activated by the p38 pathway, ATF-7 and SKN-1, to control immune responses in the adult C. elegans intestine. Here, we discuss the broader implications of these findings for understanding the involvement of GATA transcription factors in adult stress responses, and draw parallels between ELT-2 and ELT-3 to speculate that the latter may fulfill similar tissue-specific functions in the epidermis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dena Hs Block
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of California ; Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Michael Shapira
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of California; Berkeley, CA USA; Graduate Group in Microbiology; University of California; Berkeley, CA USA
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Yang W, Dierking K, Schulenburg H. WormExp: a web-based application for a Caenorhabditis elegans-specific gene expression enrichment analysis. Bioinformatics 2015; 32:943-5. [DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btv667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Motivation: A particular challenge of the current omics age is to make sense of the inferred differential expression of genes and proteins. The most common approach is to perform a gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, thereby relying on a database that has been extracted from a variety of organisms and that can therefore only yield reliable information on evolutionary conserved functions.
Results: We here present a web-based application for a taxon-specific gene set exploration and enrichment analysis, which is expected to yield novel functional insights into newly determined gene sets. The approach is based on the complete collection of curated high-throughput gene expression data sets for the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, including 1786 gene sets from more than 350 studies.
Availability and implementation: WormExp is available at http://wormexp.zoologie.uni-kiel.de.
Contacts: hschulenburg@zoologie.uni-kiel.de
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Yang
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, CAU Kiel, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Katja Dierking
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, CAU Kiel, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Hinrich Schulenburg
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, CAU Kiel, 24118 Kiel, Germany
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