Genomic clusters, putative pathogen recognition molecules, and antimicrobial genes are induced by infection of C. elegans with M. nematophilum.

ABSTRACT: The interaction between the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen, Microbacterium nematophilum, provides a model for an innate immune response in nematodes. This pathogen adheres to the rectal and post-anal cuticle of the worm, causing slowed growth, constipation, and a defensive swelling response of rectal hypodermal cells. To explore the genomic responses that the worm activates after pathogenic attack we used microarray analysis of transcriptional changes induced after 6-h infection, comparing virulent with avirulent infection. We defined 89 genes with statistically significant expression changes of at least twofold, of which 68 were up-regulated and 21 were down-regulated. Among the former, those encoding C-type lectin domains were the most abundant cla

SUBMITTER: O'Rourke D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1524860 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature