Orsay virus infection rate declines with age in C. elegans

The intracellular pathogen response is regulated by multiple <i>pals</i> genes in <i>C. elegans</i> . How such responses change with age is largely unknown. Thus, we investigated potential age-dependent changes in the immune response to the <i>C. elegans</i> -specific Orsay virus . When animals were exposed to equal viral concentrations, the expression of known immune-response <i>pals</i> genes and viral RNAs was lower in aged populations than in young adults. However, when young and aged populations were infected with equal viral loads, <i>pals</i> gene expression did not change with age. Therefore, aged <i>C. elegans</i> experience a decline in viral infection rate.