Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2009-11-30
pubmed:abstractText
For the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, microbes are both food source and potential pathogens. Intrinsic antibiotic agents such as antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are important to protect the worm against infection. Here, we show that among potential antimicrobial peptides of C. elegans, with respect to gene number, the majority belongs to the SPP-protein family which we named caenopores as they resemble structurally and functionally amoebapores. SPP-5 kills bacteria by permeabilizing their cytoplasmic membrane and displays pore-forming activity as judged by liposome depolarization. The antimicrobial polypeptide is required to cope with Escherichia coli, the regular food source of C. elegans in the laboratory, as worms devoid of this weapon develop poorly, permitting a substantial number of bacteria to survive in the intestine. As numerous caenopores exert their activity in the intestinal lumen, an environment mimicking with its acidic pH and the presence of hydrolytic enzymes, the interior of phagolysosomes, individual members may be operative in eliminating distinct groups of microorganisms that enter this tract by food consumption. Individual spp genes are induced upon contact with particular bacteria, whereas others are expressed regardless of the bacteria they live on. The multifarious caenopore family of antimicrobial peptides may have been a key event that enables C. elegans to live and survive in its natural habitat, on rotting organic material.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
1879-0089
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
34
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
203-9
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2010
pubmed:articleTitle
Caenopores are antimicrobial peptides in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans instrumental in nutrition and immunity.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Zoophysiology, Zoological Institute, University of Kiel, Germany. troeder@zoologie.uni-kiel.de
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't