A TCER-1-siRNA Regulatory Axis Suppresses Antibacterial Innate Immunity in C. elegans

Abstract

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) are important regulators of gene expression with well-established roles in pathogen defense. Yet, their specific roles in antibacterial immunity are not well understood. Here, we identify an siRNA pathway involved in repressing antibacterial innate immunity in Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that genes required for the biogenesis or function of WAGO Argonaute-associated siRNAs, called 22G-RNAs, function in a common genetic pathway with the immune-suppressive transcription elongation and splicing factor TCER-1 to inhibit immunity. Loss of tcer-1 reduced levels of 22G-RNAs from a subset of WAGO targets, while mutations in several WAGO 22G-RNA pathway genes phenocopied the enhanced immunoresistance of tcer-1 mutants, suggesting a shared regulatory module. Integrative 22G-RNA-mRNA analyses and molecular genetic studied show that this module does not induce widespread gene silencing, but instead targets a restricted set of immune-relevant effectors, including scrm-4, encoding a phospholipid translocase that promotes host resistance. Together, our findings establish endogenous WAGO 22G-RNAs as repressors of antibacterial immunity and identify TCER-1 as a physiological regulator that promotes 22G-RNA biogenesis to constrain host defense. The results uncover a previously unrecognized small RNA-dependent mechanism linking transcription, metabolism, and antibacterial innate immunity.