Title: | The Signaling Pathway of Caenorhabditis elegans Mediates Chemotaxis Response to the Attractant 2-Heptanone in a Trojan Horse-like Pathogenesis |
Author(s): | Zhang C; Zhao N; Chen Y; Zhang D; Yan J; Zou W; Zhang K; Huang X; |
Address: | "From the State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China. Neurosurgery of the Second Hospital affiliated with Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, China, and. Center Laboratory of the Second Hospital affiliated with Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, China. From the State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China, xwhuang@ynu.edu.cn" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1083-351X (Electronic) 0021-9258 (Print) 0021-9258 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits behavioral responses to a wide range of odorants associated with food and pathogens. A previous study described a Trojan Horse-like strategy of pathogenesis whereby the bacterium Bacillus nematocida B16 emits the volatile organic compound 2-heptanone to trap C. elegans for successful infection. Here, we further explored the receptor for 2-heptanone as well as the pathway involved in signal transduction in C. elegans Our experiments showed that 2-heptanone sensing depended on the function of AWC neurons and a GPCR encoded by str-2 Consistent with the above observation, the HEK293 cells expressing STR-2 on their surfaces showed a transient elevation in intracellular Ca(2+) levels after 2-heptanone applications. After combining the assays of RNA interference and gene mutants, we also identified the Galpha subunits and their downstream components in the olfactory signal cascade that are necessary for responding to 2-heptanone, including Galpha subunits of egl-30 and gpa-3, phospholipase C of plc-1and egl-8, and the calcium channel of cmk-1 and cal-1. Our work demonstrates for the first time that an integrated signaling pathway for 2-heptanone response in C. elegans involves recognition by GPCR STR-2, activation by Galpha subunits of egl-30/gpa-3 and transfer to the PLC pathway, indicating that a potentially novel olfactory pathway exists in AWC neurons. Meanwhile, since 2-heptanone, a metabolite from the pathogenic bacterium B. nematocida B16, can be sensed by C. elegans and thus strongly attract its host, our current work also suggested coevolution between the pathogenic microorganism and the chemosensory system in C. elegans" |
Keywords: | "Animals Bacillus/*physiology Caenorhabditis elegans/*microbiology/*physiology *Chemotaxis HEK293 Cells Humans Ketones/*metabolism Olfactory Pathways/microbiology/physiology Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/metabolism Receptors, Odorant/*metabolism *Signal Tra;" |
Notes: | "MedlineZhang, Chunmei Zhao, Ninghui Chen, Yao Zhang, Donghua Yan, Jinyuan Zou, Wei Zhang, Keqin Huang, Xiaowei eng 2016/09/24 J Biol Chem. 2016 Nov 4; 291(45):23618-23627. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.741132. Epub 2016 Sep 22" |