1. The activation of the oxidative stress response transcription factor SKN-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans by mitis group streptococci
- Author
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Ransome van der Hoeven, Ali Naji, Saba Rizvi, John Houston, Ali Al Hatem, and Caroline Skalley Rog
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Cell signaling ,Life Cycles ,Nematoda ,lcsh:Medicine ,Streptococcus mitis ,Signal transduction ,p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ,Biochemistry ,Virulence factor ,Larvae ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Post-Translational Modification ,Phosphorylation ,lcsh:Science ,Genes, Helminth ,Caenorhabditis elegans ,Multidisciplinary ,biology ,Signaling cascades ,Eukaryota ,Animal Models ,Viridans Streptococci ,Up-Regulation ,3. Good health ,DNA-Binding Proteins ,Mutant Strains ,Infectious Diseases ,Experimental Organism Systems ,Caenorhabditis Elegans ,Gene Knockdown Techniques ,RNA Interference ,Anatomy ,Research Article ,Cell biology ,MAPK signaling cascades ,Infectious Disease Control ,MAP Kinase Signaling System ,Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases ,Research and Analysis Methods ,Microbiology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Model Organisms ,Genetics ,Animals ,Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins ,Transcription factor ,Biology and life sciences ,lcsh:R ,Organisms ,Proteins ,Streptococcus oralis ,Hydrogen Peroxide ,biology.organism_classification ,Invertebrates ,Gastrointestinal Tract ,Oxidative Stress ,030104 developmental biology ,Viridans streptococci ,Mutation ,Unfolded Protein Response ,Caenorhabditis ,Unfolded protein response ,lcsh:Q ,Digestive System ,Transcription Factors ,Developmental Biology - Abstract
The mitis group, a member of the genetically diverse viridans group streptococci, predominately colonizes the human oropharynx. This group has been shown to cause a wide range of infectious complications in humans, including bacteremia in patients with neutropenia, orbital cellulitis and infective endocarditis. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been identified as a virulence factor produced by this group of streptococci. More importantly, it has been shown that Streptococcus oralis and S. mitis induce epithelial cell and macrophage death via the production of H2O2. Previously, H2O2 mediated killing was observed in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in response to S. oralis and S. mitis. The genetically tractable model organism C. elegans is an excellent system to study mechanisms of pathogenicity and stress responses. Using this model, we observed rapid H2O2 mediated killing of the worms by S. gordonii in addition to S. mitis and S. oralis. Furthermore, we observed colonization of the intestine of the worms when exposed to S. gordonii suggesting the involvement of an infection-like process. In response to the H2O2 produced by the mitis group, we demonstrate the oxidative stress response is activated in the worms. The oxidative stress response transcription factor SKN-1 is required for the survival of the worms and provides protection against H2O2 produced by S. gordonii. We show during infection, H2O2 is required for the activation of SKN-1 and is mediated via the p38-MAPK pathway. The activation of the p38 signaling pathway in the presence of S. gordonii is not mediated by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) transmembrane protein kinase IRE-1. However, IRE-1 is required for the survival of worms in response to S. gordonii. These finding suggests a parallel pathway senses H2O2 produced by the mitis group and activates the phosphorylation of p38. Additionally, the unfolded protein response plays an important role during infection.
- Published
- 2018