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Nature

Title:		Pathogenic bacteria modulate pheromone response to promote mating
Author(s):		Wu T; Ge M; Wu M; Duan F; Liang J; Chen M; Gracida X; Liu H; Yang W; Dar AR; Li C; Butcher RA; Saltzman AL; Zhang Y;
Address:		"Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. yzhang@oeb.harvard.edu. Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. yzhang@oeb.harvard.edu"
Journal Title:		Nature
Year:		2023
Volume:		20230104
Issue:		7943
Page Number:		324 - 331
DOI:		10.1038/s41586-022-05561-9
ISSN/ISBN:		1476-4687 (Electronic) 0028-0836 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Pathogens generate ubiquitous selective pressures and host-pathogen interactions alter social behaviours in many animals(1-4). However, very little is known about the neuronal mechanisms underlying pathogen-induced changes in social behaviour. Here we show that in adult Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites, exposure to a bacterial pathogen (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) modulates sensory responses to pheromones by inducing the expression of the chemoreceptor STR-44 to promote mating. Under standard conditions, C. elegans hermaphrodites avoid a mixture of ascaroside pheromones to facilitate dispersal(5-13). We find that exposure to the pathogenic Pseudomonas bacteria enables pheromone responses in AWA sensory neurons, which mediate attractive chemotaxis, to suppress the avoidance. Pathogen exposure induces str-44 expression in AWA neurons, a process regulated by a transcription factor zip-5 that also displays a pathogen-induced increase in expression in AWA. STR-44 acts as a pheromone receptor and its function in AWA neurons is required for pathogen-induced AWA pheromone response and suppression of pheromone avoidance. Furthermore, we show that C. elegans hermaphrodites, which reproduce mainly through self-fertilization, increase the rate of mating with males after pathogen exposure and that this increase requires str-44 in AWA neurons. Thus, our results uncover a causal mechanism for pathogen-induced social behaviour plasticity, which can promote genetic diversity and facilitate adaptation of the host animals"
Keywords:		Animals Female Male *Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolism/microbiology/physiology Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/metabolism Glycolipids/metabolism Hermaphroditic Organisms/physiology *Pheromones/metabolism *Pseudomonas aeruginosa/pathogenicity/physiology Re;
Notes:		"MedlineWu, Taihong Ge, Minghai Wu, Min Duan, Fengyun Liang, Jingting Chen, Maoting Gracida, Xicotencatl Liu, He Yang, Wenxing Dar, Abdul Rouf Li, Chengyin Butcher, Rebecca A Saltzman, Arneet L Zhang, Yun eng P40 OD010440/OD/NIH HHS/ R01 GM118775/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ R35 GM144076/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ R01 NS115484/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2023/01/05 Nature. 2023 Jan; 613(7943):324-331. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05561-9. Epub 2023 Jan 4"