Natural variation in the response of Caenorhabditis elegans towards Bacillus thuringiensis

Parasitology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 128 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. SCHULENBURG ◽  
S. MLLER
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Natural Variation

The role of Caenorhabditis elegans insulin‐like signaling in the behavioral avoidance of pathogenic Bacillus thuringiensis

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 1801-1812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Hasshoff ◽  
Claudia Höhnisch ◽  
Daniela Tonn ◽  
Barbara Hasert ◽  
Hinrich Schulenburg
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Behavioral Avoidance

scholarly journals Natural variation in Caenorhabditis elegans responses to the anthelmintic emodepside

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janneke Wit ◽  
Steffen R. Hahnel ◽  
Briana C. Rodriguez ◽  
Erik Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Mode Of Action ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Anthelmintic Drug ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Hormetic Effect ◽  
Filarial Nematodes

Treatment of parasitic nematode infections depends primarily on the use of anthelmintics. However, this drug arsenal is limited, and resistance against most anthelmintics is widespread. Emodepside is a new anthelmintic drug effective against gastrointestinal and filarial nematodes. Nematodes that are resistant to other anthelmintic drug classes are susceptible to emodepside, indicating that the emodepside mode of action is distinct from previous anthelmintics. The laboratory-adapted Caenorhabditis elegans strain N2 is sensitive to emodepside, and genetic selection and in vitro experiments implicated slo-1, a BK potassium channel gene, in emodepside mode of action. In an effort to understand how natural populations will respond to emodepside, we measured brood sizes and developmental rates of wild C. elegans strains after exposure to the drug and found natural variation across the species. Some variation in emodepside responses can be explained by natural differences in slo-1. This result suggests that other genes in addition to slo-1 underlie emodepside resistance in wild C. elegans strains. Additionally, all assayed strains have higher offspring production in low concentrations of emodepside (a hormetic effect), which could impact treatment strategies. We find that natural variation affects emodepside sensitivity, supporting the suitability of C. elegans as a model system to study emodepside responses across parasitic nematodes.

scholarly journals Increased responsiveness in feeding behaviour of Caenorhabditis elegans after experimental coevolution with its microparasite Bacillus thuringiensis

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca D. Schulte ◽  
Barbara Hasert ◽  
Carsten Makus ◽  
Nico K. Michiels ◽  
Hinrich Schulenburg
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Free Food ◽  
Immune System Activation ◽  
Evolution Experiment ◽  
Food Conditions ◽  
System Activation ◽  
Defence Strategy ◽  
Host Parasite

Immune responses, either constitutive or induced, are costly. An alternative defence strategy may be based on behavioural responses. For example, avoidance behaviour reduces contact with pathogens and thus the risk of infection as well as the requirement of immune system activation. Similarly, if pathogens are taken up orally, preferential feeding of pathogen-free food may be advantageous. Behavioural defences have been found in many animals, including the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans . We here tested nematodes from a laboratory based evolution experiment which had either coevolved with their microparasite Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) or evolved under control conditions. After 48 generations, coevolved populations were more sensitive to food conditions: in comparison with the controls, they reduced feeding activity in the presence of pathogenic BT strains while at the same time increasing it in the presence of non-pathogenic strains. We conclude that host–parasite coevolution can drive changes in the behavioural responsiveness to bacterial microbes, potentially leading to an increased defence against pathogens.

scholarly journals The Caenorhabditis elegans CUB-like-domain containing protein RBT-1 functions as a receptor for Bacillus thuringiensis Cry6Aa toxin

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e1008501
Author(s):  
Jianwei Shi ◽  
Donghai Peng ◽  
Fengjuan Zhang ◽  
Lifang Ruan ◽  
Ming Sun
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Bacillus Thuringiensis

scholarly journals Shifting patterns of natural variation in the nuclear genome of caenorhabditis elegans

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanne Solorzano ◽  
Kazufusa Okamoto ◽  
Pushpa Datla ◽  
Way Sung ◽  
RD Bergeron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Nuclear Genome

scholarly journals Evolution of sperm competition: Natural variation and genetic determinants of Caenorhabditis elegans sperm size

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clotilde Gimond ◽  
Anne Vielle ◽  
Nuno Silva-Soares ◽  
Stefan Zdraljevic ◽  
Patrick T. McGrath ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Competitive Ability ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Heritable Variation ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Male Sperm ◽  
Sperm Size

ABSTRACTSperm morphology is critical for sperm competition and thus for reproductive fitness. In the male-hermaphrodite nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, sperm size is a key feature of sperm competitive ability. Yet despite extensive research, the molecular mechanisms regulating C. elegans sperm size and the genetic basis underlying its natural variation remain unknown. Examining 97 genetically distinct C. elegans strains, we observe significant heritable variation in male sperm size but genome-wide association mapping did not yield any QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci). While we confirm larger male sperm to consistently outcompete smaller hermaphrodite sperm, we find natural variation in male sperm size to poorly predict male fertility and competitive ability. In addition, although hermaphrodite sperm size also shows significant natural variation, male and hermaphrodite sperm size do not correlate, implying a sex-specific genetic regulation of sperm size. To elucidate the molecular basis of intraspecific sperm size variation, we focused on recently diverged laboratory strains, which evolved extreme sperm size differences. Using mutants and quantitative complementation tests, we demonstrate that variation in the gene nurf-1 – previously shown to underlie the evolution of improved hermaphrodite reproduction – also explains the evolution of reduced male sperm size. This result illustrates how adaptive changes in C. elegans hermaphrodite function can cause the deterioration of a male-specific fitness trait due to a sexually antagonistic variant, representing an example of intralocus sexual conflict with resolution at the molecular level. Our results further provide first insights into the genetic determinants of C. elegans sperm size, pointing at an involvement of the NURF chromatin remodelling complex.

scholarly journals Signaling by AWC Olfactory Neurons Is Necessary for Caenorhabditis elegans’ Response to Prenol, an Odor Associated with Nematode-Infected Insects

Genetics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 216 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-157
Author(s):  
Tiffany Baiocchi ◽  
Kyle Anesko ◽  
Nathan Mercado ◽  
Heenam Park ◽  
Kassandra Kin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Behavioral Ecology ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Isoamyl Alcohol ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Ecological Differences

Chemosensation plays a role in the behaviors and life cycles of numerous organisms, including nematodes. Many guilds of nematodes exist, ranging from the free-living Caenorhabditis elegans to various parasitic species such as entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), which are parasites of insects. Despite ecological differences, previous research has shown that both EPNs and C. elegans respond to prenol (3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol), an odor associated with EPN infections. However, it is unclear how C. elegans responds to prenol. By utilizing natural variation and genetic neuron ablation to investigate the response of C. elegans to prenol, we found that the AWC neurons are involved in the detection of prenol and that several genes (including dcap-1, dcap-2, and clec-39) influence response to this odorant. Furthermore, we identified that the response to prenol is mediated by the canonically proposed pathway required for other AWC-sensed attractants. However, upon testing genetically diverse isolates, we found that the response of some strains to prenol differed from their response to isoamyl alcohol, suggesting that the pathways mediating response to these two odorants may be genetically distinct. Further, evaluations leveraging natural variation and genome wide association revealed specific genes that influence nematode behavior and provide a foundation for future studies to better understand the role of prenol in nematode behavioral ecology.

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