Transcriptome dataset analyzing the innate immune responses of C. elegans to microbial pathogens

Transcriptome analysis through next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a potent tool for investigating changes in gene expression across diverse organisms. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans serves as an invaluable model organism for dissecting host responses to bacterial infections. In this study, we use RNA-seq to provide an in-depth characterization of the mRNA transcriptome profiles of wild-type N2 animals and null mutants of the cytoskeletal regulatory gene unc-53/NAV2 following exposure to two distinct bacterial environments: their natural laboratory food source, Escherichia coli OP50, and the human and nematode pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14. Our differential gene expression analysis reveals significant shifts in gene expression patterns within N2 and unc-53 mutants under varying bacterial conditions while also identifying genes that exhibit altered expression profiles exclusively in the unc-53 mutant strain. This study provides an effective methodological framework for future investigators, and enhances our understanding of the interplay between cytoskeletal proteins and the innate immune response.