Dissecting the C. elegans response during infection using quantitative proteomics

Karina Trankjær Simonsen, Jakob Møller-Jensen, Anders Riis Kristensen, Jens S. Andersen, Birgitte H. Kallipolitis

Research output: Contribution to conference without publisher/journalPosterResearch

Abstract

The adherent invasive E. coli isolated from patients with Crohn’s disease in humans is pathogenic for C. elegans. We show here that when C. elegans feeds on the pathogenic E. coli, the life span is shortened significantly compared to the normal laboratory food, the OP50 E. coli. In this study the infection process is followed using GFP-expressing bacteria and persistence assays.

A quantitative proteomic approach was used to follow the C. elegans host response during the infection process. C. elegans were metabolic labeled with the stable isotope 15N and samples from three different time points throughout the infection were analyzed by mass spectrometry and the obtained data were subsequently analyzed in regard to their biological function using the bioinformatics software Protein Center (Proxeon, Odense, Denmark). Several proteins were found to be up-regulated in the response towards the pathogen, many of which also have been found in studies using other pathogens.

So far, large-scale investigations of the C. elegans immune response have been performed using micro-arrays. This study is the first to make use of quantitative proteomics to directly follow the protein dynamics during the infection process. By analyzing the changes in the C. elegans proteome throughout infection we will be able to identify and follow pathways and effector proteins in the early, mid and late phase of the innate immune response towards this pathogenic E. coli.

 

Original languageEnglish
Publication date2008
Publication statusPublished - 2008
EventEuropean C. elegans meeting 2008 - Seville, Spain
Duration: 29. Mar 20082. Apr 2008

Conference

ConferenceEuropean C. elegans meeting 2008
Country/TerritorySpain
CitySeville
Period29/03/200802/04/2008

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