A natural bacterial pathogen of < i > C < /i > . < i > elegans < /i > uses a small RNA to induce transgenerational inheritance of learned avoidance

by Titas Sengupta, Jonathan St. Ange, Rachel Kaletsky, Rebecca S. Moore, Renee J. Seto, Jacob Marogi, Cameron Myhrvold, Zemer Gitai, Coleen T. MurphyC.elegans can learn to avoid pathogenic bacteria through several mechanisms, including bacterial small RNA-induced learned avoidance behavior, which can be inherited transgenerationally. Previously, we discovered that a small RNA from a clinical isolate ofPseudomonas aeruginosa, PA14, induces learned avoidance and transgenerational inheritance of that avoidance inC.elegans.Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important human pathogen, and there are otherPseudomonads inC.elegans ’ natural habitat, but it is unclear whetherC.elegans ever encounters PA14-like bacteria in the wild. Thus, it is not known if small RNAs from bacteria found inC.elegans ’ natural habitat can also regulate host behavior and produce heritable behavioral effects. Here we screened a set of wild habitat bacteria, and found that a pathogenicPseudomonas vranovensis strain isolated from theC.elegans microbiota, GRb0427, regulates worm behavior: worms learn to avoid this pathogenic bacterium following exposure, and this learned avoidance is inherited for four generations. The learned response is entirely mediated by bacterially-produced small RNAs, which induce avoidance and transgenerational inheritance, providing further support that such mechanisms of learning and inheritance exist in the wild. We identified Pv1, a small RNA expressed inP.vranovensis, that has a 16...
Source: PLoS Genetics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Source Type: research