Global Proteomic Response of Caenorhabditis elegans Against PemK(Sa) Toxin

Bacterial exotoxins are major causative agents that infect by promoting cell and tissue damages through disabling the invading host immune system. However, the mode of action by which toxins modulate host immune system and lead cell death is still not completely understood. The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans has been used as an attractive model host for toxicological studies. In this regard, the present study was undertaken to assess the impact of Staphylococcus aureus toxin (PemK) on the host C. elegans through global proteomics approach. Our proteomic data obtained through LC-MS/MS, subsequent bioinformatics and biochemical analyses revealed that in response to PemK(Sa) a total of 601 proteins of C. elegans were differentially regulated in response to PemK(Sa). The identified proteins were found to mainly participate in ATP generation, protein synthesis, lipid synthesis, cytoskeleton, heat shock proteins, innate immune defense, stress response, neuron degeneration, and muscle assembly. Current findings suggested that involvement of several regulatory proteins that appear to play a role in various molecular functions in combating PemK(Sa) toxin-mediated microbial pathogenicity and/or host C. elegans immunity modulation. The results provided a preliminary view of the physiological and molecular response of a host toward a toxin and provided insight into highly complex host-toxin interactions.