G3 (Bethesda, Md.)Jan 29, 2016

Harmful Effects of Abnormal Immune Response Activation Controlled by p38 MAP Kinase in Caenorhabditis elegans

Longevity & Aging Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

Five mutants of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans were identified that suppress toxicity associated with hyperactivation of the p38 MAP kinase pathway.

Inappropriate activation of innate immune responses in intestinal epithelial cells may contribute to inflammatory disorders.
A previously identified immunostimulatory compound protects C. elegans from bacterial infections by activating immune responses.
Hyperactivation of the p38 MAPK pathway is associated with toxicity in C. elegans, as shown by the identified mutants.
A gain-of-function mutation in the gene nsy-1 leads to increased activation of the p38 MAPK pathway and enhanced resistance to bacterial infection.
The nsy-1 mutation is also linked to toxicity in developing nematodes, indicating a need for careful regulation of the immune pathway.

Simplified

Inappropriate activation of innate immune responses in intestinal epithelial cells underlies the pathophysiology of inflammatory disorders of the intestine. Here we examine the physiological effects of immune hyperactivation in the intestine of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We previously identified an immunostimulatory xenobiotic that protects C. elegans from bacterial infection by inducing immune effector expression via the conserved p38 MAP kinase pathway, but was toxic to nematodes developing in the absence of pathogen. To investigate a possible connection between the toxicity and immunostimulatory properties of this xenobiotic, we conducted a forward genetic screen for C. elegans mutants that are resistant to the deleterious effects of the compound, and identified five toxicity suppressors. These strains contained hypomorphic mutations in each of the known components of the p38 MAP kinase cassette (tir-1, nsy-1, sek-1, and pmk-1), demonstrating that hyperstimulation of the p38 MAPK pathway is toxic to animals. To explore mechanisms of immune pathway regulation in C. elegans, we conducted another genetic screen for dominant activators of the p38 MAPK pathway, and identified a single allele that had a gain-of-function (gf) mutation in nsy-1, the MAP kinase kinase kinase that acts upstream of p38 MAPK pmk-1. The nsy-1(gf) allele caused hyperinduction of p38 MAPK PMK-1-dependent immune effectors, had greater levels of phosphorylated p38 MAPK, and was more resistant to killing by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared to wild-type controls. In addition, the nsy-1(gf) mutation was toxic to developing animals. Together, these data suggest that the activity of the MAPKKK NSY-1 is tightly regulated as part of a physiological mechanism to control p38 MAPK-mediated innate immune hyperactivation, and ensure cellular homeostasis in C. elegans.

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Harmful Effects of Abnormal Immune Response Activation Controlled by p38 MAP Kinase in Caenorhabditis elegans

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