Animals counter specific environmental challenges with a combination of broad and tailored host responses. One protein family enlisted in the innate immune response includes the saposin-like antimicrobial proteins. We investigated the expression of a Caenorhabditis elegans saposin-like gene, spp-9, in response to different stresses. spp-9 expression was detected in the intestine and six amphid neurons, including AWB and AWC. spp-9 expression is increased in response to starvation stress. In addition, we discovered pathogen-specific regulation of spp-9 that was not clearly demarcated by Gram nature of the bacterial challenge. Multiple molecular innate immune response pathways, including DBL-1/TGF-β-like, insulin-like, and p38/MAPK, regulate expression of spp-9. Our results suggest spp-9 is involved in targeted responses to a variety of abiotic and bacterial challenges that are coordinated by multiple signaling pathways.

动物通过结合广泛和量身定制的宿主反应来应对特定的环境挑战。参与先天免疫反应的一个蛋白质家族包括类皂苷类抗菌蛋白。我们研究了秀丽隐杆线虫saposin 样基因spp-9对不同压力的反应的表达。在肠道和六个两栖动物神经元中检测到spp-9表达，包括 AWB 和 AWC。spp-9表达响应饥饿压力而增加。此外，我们发现了spp-9的病原体特异性调控这没有被细菌攻击的革兰氏性质明确划分。多种分子先天免疫反应途径，包括 DBL-1/TGF-β 样、胰岛素样和 p38/MAPK，调节spp-9的表达。我们的结果表明spp-9参与了对多种非生物和细菌挑战的靶向反应，这些挑战由多种信号通路协调。