Antagonistic paralogs control a switch between growth and pathogen resistance in C. elegans
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Immune genes are under intense, pathogen-induced pressure, which causes these genes to diversify over evolutionary time and become species-specific. Through a forward genetic screen we recently described a C. elegans-specific gene called pals-22 to be a repressor of “Intracellular Pathogen Response” or IPR genes. Here we describe pals-25, which, like pals-22, is a species-specific gene of unknown biochemical function. We identified pals-25 in a screen for suppression of pals-22 mutant phenotypes and found that mutations in pals-25 suppress all known phenotypes caused by mutations in pals-22. These phenotypes include increased IPR gene expression, thermotolerance, and immunity against natural pathogens, including Nematocida parisii microsporidia and the Orsay virus. Mutations in pals-25 also reverse the reduced lifespan and slowed growth of pals-22 mutants. Transcriptome analysis indicates that pals-22 and pals-25 control expression of genes induced not only by natural pathogens of the intestine, but also by natural pathogens of the epidermis. Indeed, in an independent forward genetic screen we identified pals-22 as a repressor and pals-25 as an activator of epidermal defense gene expression. In summary, the species-specific pals-22 and pals-25 genes act as a switch to regulate a program of gene expression, growth, and defense against diverse natural pathogens in C. elegans.
Date Issued
2019-01-01
Date Acceptance
2018-12-15
Citation
PLoS Pathogens, 2019, 15 (1), pp.1-28
ISSN
1553-7366
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Start Page
1
End Page
28
Journal / Book Title
PLoS Pathogens
Volume
15
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2019 Reddy et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Sponsor
Commission of the European Communities
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000457400000030&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
639485
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Microbiology
Parasitology
Virology
CAENORHABDITIS-ELEGANS
IMMUNE-RESPONSE
TRANSLATIONAL INHIBITION
EXPRESSION
EVOLUTION
RECEPTOR
DEFENSE
GENES
BIOCONDUCTOR
LONGEVITY
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN e1007528
Date Publish Online
2019-01-14