AWC mediated behavioral plasticity in C. elegans against Salmonella Typhimurium infection

Negi, V. D.; Mallick, S.; Pradhan, J.

doi:10.1101/2023.03.28.534663

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2023.03.28.534663

AWC mediated behavioral plasticity in C. elegans against Salmonella Typhimurium infection

Negi, V. D.·Mallick, S.·Pradhan, J.

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Abstract

Soil-dwelling nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is widely found in close vicinity with different types of microbes, including bacteria, fungus, viruses, etc. However, sensing environmental stress, they often undergo a dormant state called dauer for better survival. Our current study aims to decipher chemosensory responses of worms under Salmonella Typhimurium (WT-STM) infection and how bacterial gene modulating worms chemosensory system to mediate dauer larvae development. We initially observed the olfactory preference of C. elegans toward the pathogenic WT-STM. Although prolonged exposure showed enhanced lawn occupancy of worms in fepB mutant Salmonella strain with better associative learning response compared to WT-STM counterpart. We also found strong participation of AWC neuron for sensing {Delta}fepB strain and mediating worms behavioral plasticity. Overall out study implying a relationship between chemosensory neurons and bacteria emitted signals alter worms behavioral plasticity which help us to understand complex scenario of host-pathogen interaction.

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Negi, V. D., Mallick, S., Pradhan, J.. 2023-03-29. AWC mediated behavioral plasticity in C. elegans against Salmonella Typhimurium infection. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.03.28.534663

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