Structural damage in the C. elegans epidermis causes release of STA-2 and induction of an innate immune response.
Immunity
; 42(2): 309-320, 2015 Feb 17.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25692704
ABSTRACT
The epidermis constantly encounters invasions that disrupt its architecture, yet whether the epidermal immune system utilizes damaged structures as danger signals to activate self-defense is unclear. Here, we used a C. elegans epidermis model in which skin-penetrating infection or injury activates immune defense and antimicrobial peptide (AMP) production. By systemically disrupting each architectural component, we found that only disturbance of the apical hemidesmosomes triggered an immune response and robust AMP expression. The epidermis recognized structural damage through hemidesmosomes associated with a STAT-like protein, whose disruption led to detachment of STA-2 molecules from hemidesmosomes and transcription of AMPs. This machinery enabled the epidermis to bypass certain signaling amplification and directly trigger AMP production when subjected to extensive architectural damage. Together, our findings uncover an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for the epithelial barriers to detect danger and activate immune defense.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Caenorhabditis elegans
/
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
/
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
/
Epidermis
/
STAT Transcription Factors
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Immunity
Journal subject:
ALERGIA E IMUNOLOGIA
Year:
2015
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
China