BMP signaling to pharyngeal muscle in the C. elegans response to a bacterial pathogen regulates anti-microbial peptide expression and pharyngeal pumping.
Mol Biol Cell
; 35(4): ar52, 2024 Apr 01.
Article
de En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38381557
ABSTRACT
Host response to pathogens recruits multiple tissues in part through conserved cell signaling pathways. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) like DBL-1 signaling pathway has a role in the response to infection in addition to other roles in development and postdevelopmental functions. In the regulation of body size, the DBL-1 pathway acts through cell autonomous signal activation in the epidermis (hypodermis). We have now elucidated the tissues that respond to DBL-1 signaling upon exposure to two bacterial pathogens. The receptors and Smad signal transducers for DBL-1 are expressed in pharyngeal muscle, intestine, and epidermis. We demonstrate that expression of receptor-regulated Smad (R-Smad) gene sma-3 in the pharynx is sufficient to improve the impaired survival phenotype of sma-3 mutants and that expression of sma-3 in the intestine has no effect when exposing worms to bacterial infection of the intestine. We also show that two antimicrobial peptide genes - abf-2 and cnc-2 - are regulated by DBL-1 signaling through R-Smad SMA-3 activity in the pharynx. Finally, we show that pharyngeal pumping activity is reduced in sma-3 mutants and that other pharynx-defective mutants also have reduced survival on a bacterial pathogen. Our results identify the pharynx as a tissue that responds to BMP signaling to coordinate a systemic response to bacterial pathogens.
Texte intégral:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Base de données:
MEDLINE
Sujet principal:
Caenorhabditis elegans
/
Protéines de Caenorhabditis elegans
Limites:
Animals
Langue:
En
Journal:
Mol Biol Cell
/
Mol. biol. cell
/
Molecular biology of the cell
Sujet du journal:
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
Année:
2024
Type de document:
Article
Pays de publication:
États-Unis d'Amérique