title: Neural-immune communication in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Communication between the nervous and immune systems is fundamental to animal physiology. However, the complicated anatomy and signaling pathways of these systems in mammals challenge the understanding of the neural-immune interaction at molecular, cellular, and organismic levels. Caenorhabditis elegans has been valuable in this regard because of its simple, well-defined nervous system and accessibility to genetic, molecular, and behavioral analyses. Recent studies in C. elegans have identified neuronal pathways that regulate signaling cascades in innate immune responses, including a neuroendocrine network, a TGF-beta pathway and dopaminergic neurotransmission, illuminating how specific neuronal signaling molecules and circuits control integrative immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D009452:Neuroendocrinology; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation; D015398:Signal Transduction