The activity of the host immune system is down-regulated during recovery from an acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.
Host genes are altered during the recovery phase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.
Shared and pathogen-specific responses are observed in the host during recovery.
The transcription factor ELT-2 and the p38 MAP kinase PMK-1 are necessary for successful recovery.
ELT-2 is involved earlier and more prominently than PMK-1 in the recovery process.
Simplified
Infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens reduce the fitness of their associated host but are generally limited in duration. In order for the diseased host to regain any lost fitness upon recovery, a variety of molecular, cellular, and physiological processes must be employed. To better understand mechanisms underlying the recovery process, we have modeled an acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in C. elegans using brief exposures to this pathogen and subsequent antibiotic treatment. To identify host genes altered during recovery from P. aeruginosa infection, we performed whole genome expression profiling. The analysis of this dataset indicated that the activity of the host immune system is down-regulated upon recovery and revealed shared and pathogen-specific host responses during recovery. We determined that the and the p38 MAP kinase PMK-1 are necessary for animals to successfully recover from an acute P. aeruginosa infection. In addition, we found that ELT-2 plays a more prominent and earlier role than PMK-1 during recovery. Our data sheds further light on the molecular mechanisms and transcriptional programs involved in recovery from an acute bacterial infection, which provides a better understanding of the entire infectious disease process.
Key numbers
1,323 genes
Gene Expression Change
Total genes altered during acute infection and recovery
50%
Activity Requirement
Percentage of animals failing to recover after inhibition
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