Staphylococcus aureus-induced degeneration of nociceptive neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans
S. aureus damages nociceptor integrity in C. elegans: ASH neurons experience acute Ca<sup>2</sup>⁺ suppression-most pronounced with stationary-phase cultures-and extended exposure leads to structural damage and decreased avoidance behavior. This connection between pathogen physiology and circuit failure suggests that infection-evoked nociceptor PaIN may contribute to sensory dysfunction, highlighting the need to identify the responsible bacterial factor(s) and their host targets.
Authors
- Jiangang Shen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4772-5300)
- Elizabeth M. DiLoreto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9366-4110)
- Jagan Srinivasan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5449-7938)
- Javier E. Irazoqui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6553-1329)
- Xavier Gonzalez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5546-8856)
- Khursheed A. Wani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3559-7962)
Institutions
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (US)
- UMass Memorial Health Care (US)
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Biology
- Published
- 2025-12-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02470-x
- Primary Topic
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00