Biomaterial Database

Lethal paralysis of Caenorhabditis elegans by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 1999

C Darby, and C L Cosma, and J H Thomas, and C Manoil

Department of Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.

Identification of host factors that interact with pathogens is crucial to an understanding of infectious disease, but direct screening for host mutations to aid in this task is not feasible in mammals. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a genetically tractable alternative for investigating the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A P. aeruginosa toxin, produced at high cell density under control of the quorum-sensing regulators LasR and RhlR, rapidly and lethally paralyzes C. elegans. Loss-of-function mutations in C. elegans egl-9, a gene required for normal egg laying, confer strong resistance to the paralysis. Thus, activation of EGL-9 or of a pathway that includes it may lead to the paralysis. The molecular identity of egl-9 was determined by transformation rescue and DNA sequencing. A mammalian homologue of EGL-9 is expressed in tissues in which exposure to P. aeruginosa could have clinical effects.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D010243	Paralysis	A general term most often used to describe severe or complete loss of muscle strength due to motor system disease from the level of the cerebral cortex to the muscle fiber. This term may also occasionally refer to a loss of sensory function. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p45)	Palsy,Plegia,Todd Paralysis,Todd's Paralysis,Palsies,Paralyses,Paralysis, Todd,Paralysis, Todd's,Plegias,Todds Paralysis
D011550	Pseudomonas aeruginosa	A species of gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacteria commonly isolated from clinical specimens (wound, burn, and urinary tract infections). It is also found widely distributed in soil and water. P. aeruginosa is a major agent of nosocomial infection.	Bacillus aeruginosus,Bacillus pyocyaneus,Bacterium aeruginosum,Bacterium pyocyaneum,Micrococcus pyocyaneus,Pseudomonas polycolor,Pseudomonas pyocyanea
D011993	Recombinant Fusion Proteins	Recombinant proteins produced by the GENETIC TRANSLATION of fused genes formed by the combination of NUCLEIC ACID REGULATORY SEQUENCES of one or more genes with the protein coding sequences of one or more genes.	Fusion Proteins, Recombinant,Recombinant Chimeric Protein,Recombinant Fusion Protein,Recombinant Hybrid Protein,Chimeric Proteins, Recombinant,Hybrid Proteins, Recombinant,Recombinant Chimeric Proteins,Recombinant Hybrid Proteins,Chimeric Protein, Recombinant,Fusion Protein, Recombinant,Hybrid Protein, Recombinant,Protein, Recombinant Chimeric,Protein, Recombinant Fusion,Protein, Recombinant Hybrid,Proteins, Recombinant Chimeric,Proteins, Recombinant Fusion,Proteins, Recombinant Hybrid
D002450	Cell Communication	Any of several ways in which living cells of an organism communicate with one another, whether by direct contact between cells or by means of chemical signals carried by neurotransmitter substances, hormones, and cyclic AMP.	Cell Interaction,Cell-to-Cell Interaction,Cell Communications,Cell Interactions,Cell to Cell Interaction,Cell-to-Cell Interactions,Communication, Cell,Communications, Cell,Interaction, Cell,Interaction, Cell-to-Cell,Interactions, Cell,Interactions, Cell-to-Cell
D004058	Diffusion	The tendency of a gas or solute to pass from a point of higher pressure or concentration to a point of lower pressure or concentration and to distribute itself throughout the available space. Diffusion, especially FACILITATED DIFFUSION, is a major mechanism of BIOLOGICAL TRANSPORT.	Diffusions
D004268	DNA-Binding Proteins	Proteins which bind to DNA. The family includes proteins which bind to both double- and single-stranded DNA and also includes specific DNA binding proteins in serum which can be used as markers for malignant diseases.	DNA Helix Destabilizing Proteins,DNA-Binding Protein,Single-Stranded DNA Binding Proteins,DNA Binding Protein,DNA Single-Stranded Binding Protein,SS DNA BP,Single-Stranded DNA-Binding Protein,Binding Protein, DNA,DNA Binding Proteins,DNA Single Stranded Binding Protein,DNA-Binding Protein, Single-Stranded,Protein, DNA-Binding,Single Stranded DNA Binding Protein,Single Stranded DNA Binding Proteins
D000595	Amino Acid Sequence	The order of amino acids as they occur in a polypeptide chain. This is referred to as the primary structure of proteins. It is of fundamental importance in determining PROTEIN CONFORMATION.	Protein Structure, Primary,Amino Acid Sequences,Sequence, Amino Acid,Sequences, Amino Acid,Primary Protein Structure,Primary Protein Structures,Protein Structures, Primary,Structure, Primary Protein,Structures, Primary Protein
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia