Ubiquitin-Mediated Response to Microsporidia and Virus Infection in C. elegans
Figure 2
The SCF ligases, UPS and autophagy limit the growth of N. parisii in the C. elegans intestine.
A) Fluorescence and bright field images demonstrating FISH staining with a probe against N. parisii rRNA used to quantify pathogen load in the C. elegans intestine following 24 hours of infection with N. parisii. Scale bar = 100 µm. B–F) Quantification of pathogen load (see Materials and Methods) in nematodes treated with RNAi against SCF ligase components (B), against ubiquitin (ubq-2) and two components of the proteasome (pas-5 and rpn-2) (C), against ubq-2, +/− fumagillin (D), against ubq-2, +/− FUdR (E), against autophagy components (F), and the C. elegans TOR ortholog let-363 (G). Pathogen area occupying each RNAi-treated animal was normalized to mean L4440 control values. The number of animals analyzed for each condition (n) is indicated. Mean +/− SEM is shown for all analyzed animals (data for B, C, F are from three independent experiments, data for D, G are from two independent experiments and data for E are from one experiment). Each independent experiment was comprised of two separate populations of animals. Statistical significance was assessed using a one-way ANOVA with Dunnett's Multiple Comparisons Test for B, C, and F, with Bonferroni Multiple Comparison Test for D and E, and with student's t-test for G (***p<0.001, **p<0.01, *p<0.05).