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Anderson, Alexandra and McMullan, Rachel
(2018).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0255
Abstract
One way in which animals minimise the risk of infection is to reduce their contact with contaminated food. Here we establish a model of pathogen-contaminated food avoidance using the nematode worm Caernorhabditis elegans. We find that avoidance of pathogen-contaminated food protects C. elegans from the deleterious effects of infection and, using genetic approaches, demonstrate that multiple sensory neurons are required for this avoidance behaviour. In addition, our results reveal that avoidance of contaminated food requires bacterial adherence to non-neuronal cells in the tail of C. elegans that are also required for the cellular immune response. Previous studies in C. elegans have contributed significantly to our understanding of molecular and cellular basis of host-pathogen interactions and our model provides a unique opportunity to gain basic insights into how animals avoid contaminated food.
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About
- Item ORO ID
- 52248
- Item Type
- Journal Item
- ISSN
- 1471-2970
- Project Funding Details
-
Funded Project Name Project ID Funding Body Genetic analysis of post-developmental Rho GTPase signaling: identification and characterization of Rho signaling pathways required during the C. elegans immune response. (Transfer In) 088409/B/09/Z Wellcome Trust - Keywords
- Caenorhabditis elegans; avoidance behaviour; host-pathogen interaction
- Academic Unit or School
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Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Life, Health and Chemical Sciences
Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) - Research Group
- Neuroscience Research Group
- Copyright Holders
- © 2018 The Authors
- Depositing User
- Rachel Mcmullan