title: Aberrant Activation of p38 MAP Kinase-Dependent Innate Immune Responses Is Toxic to Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Inappropriate activation of innate immune responses in intestinal epithelial cells underlies the pathophysiology of inflammatory disorders of the intestine. Here we examine the physiological effects of immune hyperactivation in the intestine of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We previously identified an immunostimulatory xenobiotic that protects C. elegans from bacterial infection by inducing immune effector expression via the conserved p38 MAP kinase pathway, but was toxic to nematodes developing in the absence of pathogen. To investigate a possible connection between the toxicity and immunostimulatory properties of this xenobiotic, we conducted a forward genetic screen for C. elegans mutants that are resistant to the deleterious effects of the compound, and identified five toxicity suppressors. These strains contained hypomorphic mutations in each of the known components of the p38 MAP kinase cassette (tir-1, nsy-1, sek-1, and pmk-1), demonstrating that hyperstimulation of the p38 MAPK pathway is toxic to animals. To explore mechanisms of immune pathway regulation in C. elegans, we conducted another genetic screen for dominant activators of the p38 MAPK pathway, and identified a single allele that had a gain-of-function (gf) mutation in nsy-1, the MAP kinase kinase kinase that acts upstream of p38 MAPK pmk-1. The nsy-1(gf) allele caused hyperinduction of p38 MAPK PMK-1-dependent immune effectors, had greater levels of phosphorylated p38 MAPK, and was more resistant to killing by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared to wild-type controls. In addition, the nsy-1(gf) mutation was toxic to developing animals. Together, these data suggest that the activity of the MAPKKK NSY-1 is tightly regulated as part of a physiological mechanism to control p38 MAPK-mediated innate immune hyperactivation, and ensure cellular homeostasis in C. elegans.
authors.affiliation: Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605.
authors.forename: Hilary K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Cheesman
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114.
authors.forename: Rhonda L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Feinbaum
authors.affiliation: Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thekkiniath
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Dowen
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114.
authors.forename: Annie L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Conery
authors.affiliation: Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605 Pukkila-Worley@umassmed.edu.
authors.forename: Read
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pukkila-Worley
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015870:Gene Expression; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C532433:NSY-1 protein, C elegans; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: C. elegans genetics; genetics of immunity; host-pathogen interactions; immune regulation; innate immunity
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