Abstract
In the past decade, Caenorhabditis elegans has been used to dissect several genetic pathways involved in immunity; however, little is known about transcription factors that regulate the expression of immune effectors. C. elegans does not appear to have a functional homolog of the key immune transcription factor NF-kappaB. Here we show that that the intestinal GATA transcription factor ELT-2 is required for both immunity to Salmonella enterica and expression of a C-type lectin gene, clec-67, which is expressed in the intestinal cells and is a good marker of S. enterica infection. We also found that ELT-2 is required for immunity to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, and Cryptococcus neoformans. Lack of immune inhibition by DAF-2, which negatively regulates the FOXO transcription factor DAF-16, rescues the hypersusceptibility to pathogens phenotype of elt-2(RNAi) animals. Our results indicate that ELT-2 is part of a multi-pathogen defense pathway that regulates innate immunity independently of the DAF-2/DAF-16 signaling pathway.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Animals, Genetically Modified
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Bacteria / immunology
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Bacteria / pathogenicity
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Base Sequence
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Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans / immunology*
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Caenorhabditis elegans / microbiology*
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / immunology*
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DNA Primers / genetics
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Forkhead Transcription Factors
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Fungi / immunology
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Fungi / pathogenicity
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GATA Transcription Factors / antagonists & inhibitors
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GATA Transcription Factors / genetics
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GATA Transcription Factors / immunology*
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Genes, Helminth
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Host-Pathogen Interactions / genetics
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Host-Pathogen Interactions / immunology
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Immunity, Innate / genetics
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RNA Interference
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Receptor, Insulin / genetics
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Receptor, Insulin / immunology
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Salmonella enterica / immunology
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Salmonella enterica / pathogenicity
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Signal Transduction
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Transcription Factors / genetics
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Transcription Factors / immunology
Substances
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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DNA Primers
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ELT-2 protein, C elegans
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Forkhead Transcription Factors
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GATA Transcription Factors
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Transcription Factors
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daf-16 protein, C elegans
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DAF-2 protein, C elegans
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Receptor, Insulin