RRC ID 88021
Author Rao R, Aballay A, Singh J.
Title Inhibition of the UFD-1-NPL-4 complex triggers an aberrant immune response in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Journal Elife
Abstract The UFD-1 (ubiquitin fusion degradation 1)-NPL-4 (nuclear protein localization homolog 4) heterodimer is involved in extracting ubiquitinated proteins from several plasma membrane locations, including the endoplasmic reticulum. This heterodimer complex helps in the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins via the proteasome with the help of the AAA+ATPase CDC-48. While the ubiquitin-proteasome system is known to have important roles in maintaining innate immune responses, the role of the UFD-1-NPL-4 complex in regulating immunity remains elusive. In this study, we investigate the role of the UFD-1-NPL-4 complex in maintaining Caenorhabditis elegans innate immune responses. Inhibition of the UFD-1-NPL-4 complex activates an aberrant immune response that reduces the survival of the wild-type worms on the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa despite diminishing colonization of the gut with the bacterium. This aberrant immune response improves the survival of severely immunocompromised worms on pathogenic bacteria but is detrimental on nonpathogenic bacteria. Transcriptomics studies reveal that the GATA transcription factor ELT-2 mediates the aberrant immune response upon inhibition of the UFD-1-NPL-4 complex. Collectively, our findings show that inhibition of the UFD-1-NPL-4 complex triggers an aberrant immune response that is detrimental to immunocompetent worms under infection conditions but can be advantageous for immunocompromised worms.
Volume 13
Published 2025-9-10
DOI 10.7554/eLife.94310
PII 94310
PMID 40928215
PMC PMC12422736
MeSH Animals Caenorhabditis elegans* / genetics Caenorhabditis elegans* / immunology Caenorhabditis elegans* / microbiology Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins* / antagonists & inhibitors Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins* / genetics Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins* / immunology Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins* / metabolism Immunity, Innate* Pseudomonas aeruginosa / immunology
Resource
C.elegans tm2482 tm1978