scholarly journals Sterol scarcity primes p38 immune defenses through a TIR-1/SARM1 phase transition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas D Peterson ◽  
Janneke D. Icso ◽  
J. Elizabeth Salisbury ◽  
Tomas C Rodriguez ◽  
Paul Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Dietary Cholesterol ◽  
Immune Defense ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Nad Glycohydrolase ◽  
Immune Defenses

Intracellular signaling regulators can be concentrated into membrane-free, higher-ordered protein assemblies to initiate protective responses during stress - a process known as phase transition. Here, we show that a phase transition of the C. elegans Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain protein (TIR-1), a homolog of the mammalian sterile alpha and TIR motif-containing 1 (SARM1), primes host immune defenses when dietary sterols are limited to handle subsequent bacterial infection. TIR-1/SARM1 is an upstream component of the p38 PMK-1 pathway in intestinal cells, an innate immune defense and stress response pathway in metazoans. Under conditions of low cholesterol availability, multimerization and precipitation of TIR-1/SARM1 potentiates the intrinsic NAD+ glycohydrolase activity of this protein complex, increases p38 PMK-1 phosphorylation, and promotes pathogen clearance from the intestine. Dietary cholesterol is required for C. elegans to survive infection with pathogenic bacteria and to support development, fecundity, and lifespan. Thus, activation of the p38 PMK-1 pathway in sterol-deficient animals is an adaptive response that allows a metazoan host to anticipate environmental threats under conditions of essential metabolite scarcity.

Caenorhabditis elegansavoids staphylococcal superantigenic toxins via 5-hydroxytryptamine-dependent pathway

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 1268-1277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arihiro Osanai ◽  
Dong-Liang Hu ◽  
Akio Nakane
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Avoidance Behavior ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Repellent Activity ◽  
Toxic Shock ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin ◽  
Culture Supernatants ◽  
Dependent Pathway

Avoidance behavior of Caenorhabditis elegans, a nematode, towards Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogenic bacterium, was studied. Caenorhabditis elegans avoided S. aureus cultures and also their culture supernatants, suggesting that secretory molecules are involved in the repellent activity. We demonstrated that toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) and staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC), the superantigenic toxins produced by S. aureus, are responsible for the nematode avoidance. By using TSST-1 and SEC mutants, the results indicated that the repellent activity of these toxins is independent of their superantigenic activity. The TSST-1 and SEC were found to locate at chemosensory neurons that are responsible for the recognition of repellents and avoidance of pathogenic bacteria. When mutants of C. elegans deficient in Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR-1) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) biosynthesis were used, avoidance behavior was attenuated. In the 5-HT biosynthesis deficient mutant nematodes, the avoidance activity was recovered when exogenous 5-HT was added. tph-1 expression and 5-HT production were upregulated when the nematodes were treated with TSST-1 or SEC. These results suggest that C. elegans avoids S. aureus by recognizing secretory molecules including TSST-1 and SEC and this avoidance is dependent on TIR and production of 5-HT.

scholarly journals A phase transition enhances the catalytic activity of SARM1, an NAD+ glycohydrolase involved in neurodegeneration

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather S Loring ◽  
Victoria L Czech ◽  
Janneke D Icso ◽  
Lauren O'Connor ◽  
Sangram S Parelkar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Axonal Degeneration ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Targeted Therapeutics ◽  
Murine Models ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Nad Glycohydrolase ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Interleukin Receptor

Sterile alpha and toll/interleukin receptor (TIR) motif-containing protein 1 (SARM1) is a neuronally expressed NAD+ glycohydrolase whose activity is increased in response to stress. NAD+ depletion triggers axonal degeneration, which is a characteristic feature of neurological diseases. Notably, loss of SARM1 is protective in murine models of peripheral neuropathy and traumatic brain injury. Herein, we report that citrate induces a phase transition that enhances SARM1 activity by ~2000-fold. This phase transition can be disrupted by mutating a residue involved in multimerization, G601P. This mutation also disrupts puncta formation in cells. We further show that citrate induces axonal degeneration in C. elegans that is dependent on the C. elegans orthologue of SARM1 (TIR-1). Notably, citrate induces the formation of larger puncta indicating that TIR-1/SARM1 multimerization is essential for degeneration in vivo. These findings provide critical insights into SARM1 biology with important implications for the discovery of novel SARM1-targeted therapeutics.

scholarly journals AMPK activates Parkin independent autophagy and improves post sepsis immune defense against secondary bacterial lung infections

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel B. Bone ◽  
Eugene J. Becker ◽  
Maroof Husain ◽  
Shaoning Jiang ◽  
Anna A. Zmijewska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Abdominal Sepsis ◽  
Immune Defense ◽  
Bacterial Killing ◽  
Lung Infections ◽  
Sepsis Survivors ◽  
The Impact

AbstractMetabolic and bioenergetic plasticity of immune cells is essential for optimal responses to bacterial infections. AMPK and Parkin ubiquitin ligase are known to regulate mitochondrial quality control mitophagy that prevents unwanted inflammatory responses. However, it is not known if this evolutionarily conserved mechanism has been coopted by the host immune defense to eradicate bacterial pathogens and influence post-sepsis immunosuppression. Parkin, AMPK levels, and the effects of AMPK activators were investigated in human leukocytes from sepsis survivors as well as wild type and Park2−/− murine macrophages. In vivo, the impact of AMPK and Parkin was determined in mice subjected to polymicrobial intra-abdominal sepsis and secondary lung bacterial infections. Mice were treated with metformin during established immunosuppression. We showed that bacteria and mitochondria share mechanisms of autophagic killing/clearance triggered by sentinel events that involve depolarization of mitochondria and recruitment of Parkin in macrophages. Parkin-deficient mice/macrophages fail to form phagolysosomes and kill bacteria. This impairment of host defense is seen in the context of sepsis-induced immunosuppression with decreased levels of Parkin. AMPK activators, including metformin, stimulate Parkin-independent autophagy and bacterial killing in leukocytes from post-shock patients and in lungs of sepsis-immunosuppressed mice. Our results support a dual role of Parkin and AMPK in the clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria and killing of pathogenic bacteria, and explain the immunosuppressive phenotype associated Parkin and AMPK deficiency. AMPK activation appeared to be a crucial therapeutic target for the macrophage immunosuppressive phenotype and to reduce severity of secondary bacterial lung infections and respiratory failure.

Deficiency of innate immunity against P. aeruginosa enhances behavioral avoidance via the HECW-1/NPR-1 module in C. elegans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Bai ◽  
Wei Zou ◽  
Wenhui Zhou ◽  
Keqin Zhang ◽  
Xiaowei Huang
Keyword(s):  
Innate Immunity ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Defensive Strategy ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Defensive Strategies ◽  
Behavioral Avoidance ◽  
Neuropeptide Y Receptor ◽  
G Protein Coupled

To antagonize infection of pathogenic bacteria in soil and confer increased survival, Caenorhabditis elegans employs innate immunity and behavioral avoidance synchronously as the two main defensive strategies. Although both biological processes and their individual signaling pathways have been partially elucidated, knowledge of their interrelationship remains limited. The current study reveals that deficiency of innate immunity triggered by mutation of the classic immune gene pmk-1 promotes avoidance behavior in C. elegans ; and vice versa. Restoration of pmk-1 expression using the tissue-specific promoters suggested that the functional loss of both intestinal and neuronal pmk-1 is necessary for the enhanced avoidance. Additionally, PMK-1 co-localized with the E3 ubiquitin ligase HECW-1 in OLL neurons and regulated the expressional level of the latter, which consequently affected the production of NPR-1, a G-protein-coupled receptor homologous to the mammalian neuropeptide Y receptor, in RMG neurons in a non-cell-autonomous manner. Collectively, our study illustrates, once the innate immunity is impaired when C. elegans antagonizes bacterial infection, the other defensive strategy of behavioral avoidance can be enhanced accordingly via the HECW-1/NPR-1 module, suggesting that GPCRs in neural circuits may receive the inputs from immune system and integrate those two systems for better adapting to the real-time status.

scholarly journals Sonic Stimulation and Low Power Microwave Radiation Can Modulate Bacterial Virulence Towards Caenorhabditis elegans

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-162
Author(s):  
Priya Patel ◽  
Hiteshi Patel ◽  
Dhara Vekariya ◽  
Chinmayi Joshi ◽  
Pooja Patel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Microwave Radiation ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Virulence ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Microwave Exposure ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Sonic Treatment ◽  
Global Threat ◽  
Sound Treatment

<P>Background: In view of the global threat of antimicrobial resistance, novel alternative approaches to deal with infectious bacteria are warranted, in addition to the conventional invasive therapeutic approaches. Objective: This study aimed at investigating whether exposure to sonic stimulation or microwave radiation can affect virulence of pathogenic bacteria toward the model nematode host Caenorhabditis elegans. Methods: Caenorhabditis elegans worms infected with different pathogenic bacteria were subjected to sonic treatment to investigate whether such sound treatment can exert any therapeutic effect on the infected worms. Virulence of microwave exposed bacteria was also assessed using this nematode host. Results: Sound corresponding to 400 Hz, and the divine sound ‘Om’ conferred protective effect on C. elegans in face of bacterial infection, particularly that caused by Serratia marcescens or Staphylococcus aureus. The observed effect seemed to occur due to influence of sound on bacteria, and not on the worm. Additionally, effect of microwave exposure on bacterial virulence was also investigated, wherein microwave exposure could reduce virulence of S. aureus towards C. elegans. Conclusion: Sonic stimulation/ microwave exposure was demonstrated to be capable of modulating bacterial virulence.</P>

scholarly journals Keratinocyte Expression of Human β Defensin 2 following Bacterial Infection: Role in Cutaneous Host Defense

2003 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
James G. H. Dinulos ◽  
Laurel Mentele ◽  
L. Page Fredericks ◽  
Beverly A. Dale ◽  
Gary L. Darmstadt
Keyword(s):  
Host Defense ◽  
Staphylococcus Epidermidis ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Skin Surface ◽  
Immune Defense ◽  
Skin Infections ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Relative Tolerance ◽  
Disease Induction ◽  
Stimulation Of

ABSTRACT Human β defensin 2 (hβD-2) is thought to play an important role in cutaneous immune defense. We hypothesized that (i) keratinocyte expression of hβD-2, measured by reverse transcription-PCR, would be upregulated in response to challenge with pathogenic bacteria, particularly highly adherent strains of Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, and (ii) hβD-2 would have potent antimicrobial activity against pathogenic but not commensal organisms. Expression of hβD-2 was induced consistently by S. aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whereas strains of S. pyogenes were poor and variable inducers of hβD-2. No correlation was found between levels of bacterial adherence and keratinocyte expression of hβD-2. S. pyogenes was significantly more sensitive to killing by hβD-2 than S. epidermidis. We conclude that the ability to induce hβD-2 expression in combination with sensitivity to its antimicrobial effects may contribute to the rarity of skin infections with the gram-negative bacterial organisms, whereas lack of stimulation of hβD-2 expression by S. pyogenes may be important in its ability to evade innate defenses and cause skin disease. Induction of expression of hβD-2 but relative tolerance to it may enable S. epidermidis to survive on the skin surface and modulate hβD-2 expression when the stratum corneum barrier is disrupted.

scholarly journals The Poxvirus Protein A52R Targets Toll-like Receptor Signaling Complexes to Suppress Host Defense

2003 ◽  
Vol 197 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary T. Harte ◽  
Ismar R. Haga ◽  
Geraldine Maloney ◽  
Pearl Gray ◽  
Patrick C. Reading ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor ◽  
Nuclear Factor Κb ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Altered Gene Expression ◽  
Altered Gene ◽  
Molecular Patterns ◽  
Transcription Factor Nuclear Factor ◽  
Necrosis Factor

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are crucial in the innate immune response to pathogens, in that they recognize and respond to pathogen associated molecular patterns, which leads to activation of intracellular signaling pathways and altered gene expression. Vaccinia virus (VV), the poxvirus used to vaccinate against smallpox, encodes proteins that antagonize important components of host antiviral defense. Here we show that the VV protein A52R blocks the activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) by multiple TLRs, including TLR3, a recently identified receptor for viral RNA. A52R associates with both interleukin 1 receptor–associated kinase 2 (IRAK2) and tumor necrosis factor receptor–associated factor 6 (TRAF6), two key proteins important in TLR signal transduction. Further, A52R could disrupt signaling complexes containing these proteins. A virus deletion mutant lacking the A52R gene was attenuated compared with wild-type and revertant controls in a murine intranasal model of infection. This study reveals a novel mechanism used by VV to suppress the host immunity. We demonstrate viral disabling of TLRs, providing further evidence for an important role for this family of receptors in the antiviral response.

scholarly journals The Presence of Peptidoglycan O-Acetyltransferase in Various Staphylococcal Species Correlates with Lysozyme Resistance and Pathogenicity

2006 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 4598-4604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Bera ◽  
Raja Biswas ◽  
Silvia Herbert ◽  
Friedrich Götz
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Southern Blotting ◽  
Immune Defense ◽  
Lytic Enzyme ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Sensitive Species ◽  
Defense Compounds ◽  
Staphylococcal Species ◽  
Persistent Infections

ABSTRACT Human-pathogenic bacteria that are able to cause persistent infections must have developed mechanisms to resist the immune defense system. Lysozyme, a cell wall-lytic enzyme, is one of the first defense compounds induced in serum and tissues after the onset of infection. Recently, we showed that Staphylococcus aureus is resistant to lysozyme by O acetylating its peptidoglycan (PG) by O-acetyltransferase (OatA). We asked the question of which staphylococcal species PG is O acetylated. We applied various methods, such as genome analysis, PCR, Southern blotting, lysozyme sensitivity assay, and verification of O acetylation of PG by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. PCR analysis using S. aureus-derived oatA primers and Southern blotting did not yield reliable results with other staphylococcal species. Therefore, we used the HPLC-based assay to directly detect PG O acetylation. Our studies revealed that the muramic acid was O acetylated only in pathogenic, lysozyme-resistant staphylococci (e.g., S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. lugdunensis, and others). All nonpathogenic species were lysozyme sensitive. They can be divided into sensitive species (e.g., S. carnosus, S. gallinarum, and S. xylosus) and hypersensitive species (e.g., S. equorum, S. lentus, and S. arlettae). In all lysozyme-sensitive species, the analyzed PG was de-O-acetylated. When we transformed the oatA gene from lysozyme-resistant S. aureus into S. carnosus, the corresponding transformants also became lysozyme resistant.

scholarly journals Ligand-induced desensitization of interleukin 1 receptor-initiated intracellular signaling events in T helper lymphocytes.

1994 ◽  
Vol 180 (4) ◽  
pp. 1321-1328 ◽  
Author(s):  
D J McKean ◽  
C Huntoon ◽  
M Bell
Keyword(s):  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Nuclear Translocation ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Lymphocyte Activation ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Receptor Desensitization ◽  
T Helper ◽  
Nf Kappa B ◽  
T Helper Lymphocytes ◽  
Signaling Events

Although interleukin 1 (IL-1) receptor signaling events in T helper lymphocytes are incompletely characterized, events associated with translocation of the transcription factor NF-kappa B are receptor-proximal assays of ligand-initiated responses. In this report we demonstrate that the transient nature of IL-1-induced NF-kappa B nuclear translocation occurs as a consequence of ligand-induced receptor desensitization. Other receptor-initiated events including induction of I kappa B alpha phosphorylation, expression of c-jun and junB mRNA, and costimulatory effects on IL-2 synthesis also are altered by IL-1 receptor desensitization. IL-1 receptor desensitization is not initiated by tumor necrosis factor, which also stimulates NF-kappa B translocation, and is not a consequence of alterations in either IL-1 receptor expression or binding affinity. In the absence of IL-1, the effects of desensitization are completely reversed within 18 h. Since IL-1 desensitization is initiated under conditions of low receptor occupancy, it is likely that receptor desensitization results from alterations to a receptor-proximal transducer, rather than from direct modification of the IL-1 receptor. These results suggest that the cyclic nature of the events in the T helper lymphocyte activation program can be controlled, in part, by the reversible desensitization of cell surface IL-1 receptors.

scholarly journals Intergenerational pathogen-induced diapause in C. elegans is modulated by mir-243

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolaing Gabaldon ◽  
Marcela Legüe ◽  
M. Fernanda Palominos ◽  
Lidia Verdugo ◽  
Florence Gutzwiller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Developmental Change ◽  
Differential Expression Analysis ◽  
Phenotypic Analysis ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Animal Physiology ◽  
Two Generations ◽  
Dauer Formation ◽  
And Behavior

AbstractThe interaction and communication between bacteria and their hosts modulate many aspects of animal physiology and behavior. Dauer entry as a response to chronic exposure to pathogenic bacteria in Caenorhabditis elegans is an example of a dramatic survival response. This response is dependent on the RNAi machinery, suggesting the involvement of sRNAs as effectors. Interestingly, dauer formation occurs after two generations of interaction with two unrelated moderately pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, we sought to discover the identity of C. elegans RNAs involved in pathogen-induced diapause. Using transcriptomics and differential expression analysis of coding and long and small non-coding RNAs, we found that mir-243-3p is the only transcript continuously upregulated in animals exposed to both, P. aeruginosa or S. enterica for two generations. Phenotypic analysis of mutants showed that mir-243 is required for dauer formation under pathogenesis but not under starvation. Moreover, DAF-16, a master regulator of defensive responses in the animal and required for dauer formation was found to be necessary for mir-243 expression. This work highlights the role of a small non-coding RNA in the intergenerational defensive response against pathogenic bacteria and inter-kingdom communication.ImportancePersistent infection of the bacterivore nematode C. elegans with bacteria such as P. aeruginosa and S. enterica makes the worm diapause or hibernate. By doing this, the worm closes its mouth avoiding infection. This response takes two generations to be implemented. In this work, we looked for genes expressed upon infection that could mediate the worm diapause triggered by pathogens. We identify mir-243-3p as the only transcript commonly upregulated when animals feed on P. aeruginosa and S. enterica for two consecutive generations. Moreover, we demonstrate that mir-243-3p is required for pathogen-induced dauer formation, a new function that has not been previously described for this miRNA. We also find that the transcriptional activators DAF-16, PQM-1 and CRH-2 are necessary for the expression of mir-243 under pathogenesis. Here we establish a relationship between a small RNA and a developmental change that ensures the survival of a percentage of the progeny.

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