Thioredoxin shapes the <i>C. elegans</i> sensory response to <i>Pseudomonas</i> produced nitric oxide.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 30014846.
- Also identified by DOI 10.7554/eLife.36833 and PMC identifier 6066330.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is released into the air by NO-producing organisms; however, it is unclear if animals utilize NO as a sensory cue. We show that <i>C. elegans</i> avoids <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (PA14) in part by detecting PA14-produced NO. PA14 mutants deficient for NO production fail to elicit avoidance and NO donors repel worms. PA14 and NO avoidance are mediated by a chemosensory neuron (ASJ) and these responses require receptor guanylate cyclases and cyclic nucleotide gated ion channels. ASJ exhibits calcium increases at both the onset and removal of NO. These NO-evoked ON and OFF calcium transients are affected by a redox sensing protein, TRX-1/thioredoxin. TRX-1's trans-nitrosylation activity inhibits the ON transient whereas TRX-1's de-nitrosylation activity promotes the OFF transient. Thus, <i>C. elegans</i> exploits bacterially produced NO as a cue to mediate avoidance and TRX-1 endows ASJ with a bi-phasic response to NO exposure.
Medical subject headings
- Caenorhabditis elegans
- Chemoreceptor Cells
- Neurotransmitter Agents
- Nitric Oxide
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Thioredoxins