Genome-wide investigation reveals pathogen-specific and shared signatures in the response of Caenorhabditis elegans to infection.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There are striking similarities between the innate immune systems of invertebrates and vertebrates. Caenorhabditis elegans is increasingly used as a model for the study of innate immunity. Evidence is accumulating that C. elegans mounts distinct responses to different pathogens, but the true extent of this specificity is unclear. Here, we employ direct comparative genomic analyses to explore the nature of the host immune response.

Results

Using whole-genome microarrays representing 20,334 genes, we analyzed the transcriptional response of C. elegans to four bacterial pathogens. Different bacteria provoke pathogen-specific signatures within the host, involving differential regulation of 3.5-5% of all genes. These include genes that encode potential pathogen-recogni

SUBMITTER: Wong D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2375032 | biostudies-literature | 2007

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature