Work

Thioredoxin shapes the C. elegans sensory response to Pseudomonas produced nitric oxide

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: We show that C. elegans avoids a bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA14) by detecting PA14-produced nitric oxide (NO). PA14 mutants deficient for NO production fail to elicit avoidance and NO donors repel worms. PA14 and NO avoidance are mediated by the ASJ chemosensory neurons, which respond to NO with intracellular calcium rises. PA14 avoidance and NO-evoked calcium responses require receptor guanylate cyclases (DAF-11 and GCY-27), and cyclic nucleotide gated ion channels (TAX-2 and -4). ASJ exhibits calcium increases at both the onset and removal of NO. These NO-evoked ON and OFF calcium transients are affected by a redox sensing protein, TRX-1/thioredoxin. TRX-1’s trans-nitrosylation activity inhibits the ON transient whereas TRX-1’s de-nitrosylation activity promotes the OFF transient. Thus, C. elegans exploits bacterially produced NO as a cue to mediate avoidance and TRX-1 functions as an NO-sensor that endows ASJ with a bi-phasic response to NO exposure.

Source: eLife

DOI: 10.7554/elife.36833

Authors: Yingsong Hao, Wenxing Yang, Jing Ren, Qi Hall, Yun Zhang, Joshua M. Kaplan

Institutions: Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research

Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,500