Transcriptomic profiling of distinct bacterial infections induced neuro-immune signaling pathways of C. elegans

C. elegans, a microscopic nematode, has become a prominent model organism for the study of host-pathogen interactions due to its unique advantages, genetic tractability, and evolutionary conservation of key pathways. The nervous system of C. elegans is remarkably well-characterized, consisting of three hundred two neurons with defined synaptic connections. The wiring diagram, or connectome, of these neurons has been extensively studied, providing insights into the neural circuits underlying behavior. The transparency of C. elegans allows for real-time visualization of infection processes, including pathogen colonization and the host response. Fluorescent markers and reporter genes can be easily introduced, enabling the monitoring of immune-related genes expression during infection. The availability of a fully sequenced genome which is only ninety seven Mb in size (20,000) has an estimated 60-80% of genes with homologues in humans and a wealth of genetic tools further enhance the utility of C. elegans in host-pathogen studies. RNA Seq has emerged as powerful method used to analyze the transcriptome, providing detailed insights into the RNA molecules present in biological samples. Here we used RNA Seq to better understand the neuro-immune signaling players crosstalk during the host pathogen interaction. We performed transcriptome analysis of infected worms and found differential gene expression involved in neuro-immune signaling pathways and their regulation during infection and immune responses. Transcriptome analysis of infected worms revealed differential gene expression involved in neuro-immune signaling pathways and their regulation during infection and immune responses. We conducted GO term analysis to categorize differential gene expression commonly regulated in response to C. sakazakii and S. aureus infections. In the N2 strain, genes encoding Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, the Wnt signaling pathway, the TGF beta signaling pathway, fatty acid degradation, Metabolic pathways, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, and autophagy (animal) were significantly enriched. This suggests that they exhibit similar immune responses to different bacterial infections by C. sakazakii and S. aureus. Overall, deciphering gene expression signatures during distinct bacterial infections can provide insights into the diverse evolutionary trajectories of neuro-immune responses to different pathophysiology within organisms.