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Updated: Sep 7, 2025
Automated Separation of C. elegans Variably Colonized by a Bacterial Pathogen
Published on: March 21, 2014
Caenorhabditis elegans DAF-16 regulates lifespan and immune responses to Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus
Thitinan Kitisin1, Watcharamat Muangkaew1, Passanesh Sukphopetch2
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Background:
Cryptococcosis is a life-threatening infection is primarily caused by two sibling species Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. Several virulence-related factors of these cryptococci have been widely investigated in Caenorhabditis elegans, representing a facile in vivo model of host-pathogen interaction. While recent studies elucidated cryptococcal virulence factors, intrinsic host factors that affect susceptibility to infections by cryptococci remain unclear and poorly investigated.
Results:
Here, we showed that defects in C. elegans insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling (IIS) pathway influenced animal lifespan and mechanisms of host resistance in cryptococcal infections, which required the activation of aging regulator DAF-16/Forkhead box O transcription factor. Moreover, accumulation of lipofuscin, DAF-16 nuclear localization, and expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD-3) were elevated in C. elegans due to host defenses during cryptococcal infections.
Conclusion:
The present study demonstrated the relationship between longevity and immunity, which may provide a possibility for novel therapeutic intervention to improve host resistance against cryptococcal infections.
