Regulation of Caenorhabditis elegans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa machinery during interactions

The amenability of Caenorhabditis elegans against pathogen provides a valuable tool for studying host-pathogen interactions. Physiological experiments revealed that the P. aeruginosa was able to kill C. elegans efficiently. The effects of P. aeruginosa PA14, PAO1 and their isolated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the host system were analyzed. The LPS at higher concentrations (≥2 mg/ml) was toxic to the host animals. Kinetic studies using qPCR revealed the regulation of host-specific candidate antimicrobial genes during pathogen-mediated infections. In addition, the pathogen-specific virulent gene, exoT expression, was anlyzed and found to be varied during the interactions with the host system. Ability of the pathogens to modify their internal machinery in the presence of the host was analyzed by XRD, FTIR and PCA. LPS isolated from pathogens upon exposure to C. elegans showed modifications at their functional regions. LPS from PAO1 showed difference in d-spacing angle (Å) and °2Th position. FTIR spectra revealed alterations in polysaccharide (1,200-900 cm(-1)) and fatty acid (3,000-2,800 cm(-1)) regions of LPS from P. aeruginosa PAO1 exposed to the host system. These data provide additional insights on how the pathogens subvert its own and host machinery during interactions.