[
International Worm Meeting,
2015]
The recent discovery of a natural viral infection in Caenorhabditis elegans by Orsay virus provides new opportunities to study host-pathogen interactions in this model organism. Although the viral capsid is mainly composed of the protein alpha, neither the structure nor the function of the protein delta or alpha-delta fusion protein is known. Using a new method called PROFECE (PROtein Feeding in C.Elegans), we assessed the pathogenicity of the viral capsid proteins by survival assays of synchronized population of nematodes and their abilities to induce the intestinal abnormalities observed in infected nematode by fluorescence microscopy. Escherichiae coli were engineered to express either the proteins alpha-delta or delta and were given to Caenorhabditis elegans as food source for further studies. The results demonstrate a reduction of the nematode's lifespan while fed with the viral proteins along with digestive problem. Indeed, the capsid proteins fused to a fluorescent protein reporter allows observing a narrower lumen and a less efficient digestion when fed with viral proteins. The study suggests that the protein alpha-delta as well as delta alone play a pathogenic role during the viral infection and warrant further studies to address the nature of the host-viral interaction. In another extent, the method could also be used for a wider application such as metabolic studies. PS: MM and OH contributed equally in this study.
[
International Worm Meeting,
2015]
The recent discovery of a natural viral infection in Caenorhabditis elegans by Orsay virus provides new opportunities to study host-pathogen interactions in this model organism. Although the viral capsid is mainly composed of the protein alpha, neither the structure nor the function of the protein delta or alpha-delta fusion protein is known. Using a new method called PROFECE (PROtein Feeding in C.Elegans), we assessed the pathogenicity of the viral capsid proteins by survival assays of synchronized population of nematodes and their abilities to induce the intestinal abnormalities observed in infected nematode by fluorescence microscopy. Escherichiae coli were engineered to express either the proteins alpha-delta or delta and were given to Caenorhabditis elegans as food source for further studies. The results demonstrate a reduction of the nematode's lifespan while fed with the viral proteins along with digestive problem. Indeed, the capsid proteins fused to a fluorescent protein reporter allows observing a narrower lumen and a less efficient digestion when fed with viral proteins. The study suggests that the protein alpha-delta as well as delta alone play a pathogenic role during the viral infection and warrant further studies to address the nature of the host-viral interaction. In another extent, the method could also be used for a wider application such as metabolic studies.