DAF-16-dependent suppression of immunity during reproduction in Caenorhabditis elegans.
To further understand how the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans defends itself against pathogen attack, we analyzed enhanced pathogen resistance (epr) mutants obtained from a forward genetic screen. We also examined several well-characterized sterile mutants that exhibit an Epr phenotype. We found that sterility and pathogen resistance are highly correlated and that resistance in both epr and sterile mutants is dependent on DAF-16 activity. Our data indicate that a DAF-16-dependent signaling pathway distinct from previously described pathways is involved in the activation of genes that confer resistance to bacterial pathogens. The timing of DAF-16-dependent gene activation in sterile mutants coincides with the onset of embryonic development in wild-type animals, suggesting that signals from developing embryos normally downregulate the immune response.
Miyata
Sachiko
S
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
Begun
Jakob
J
Troemel
Emily R
ER
Ausubel
Frederick M
FM
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D005820:Genetic Testing; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D013489:Suppression, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; C108831:daf-16 protein, C elegans