Evolutionsbiologie
Evolution of the innate immune system in Caenorhabditis elegans
Simple model organisms that are amenable to comprehensive experimental analysis show enormous potential to
elucidate the molecular genetic architecture of complex traits and thus to enhance our understanding of these traits
in other organisms, including humans. In this project, we exploit the advantages of the nematode Caenorhabditis
elegans as an experimental system to study the molecular genetic basis of innate immunity. In particular, we
examine the induced immune response of two natural C. elegans strains towards the Gram-positive bacterium
Bacillus thuringiensis. The microarray technology is employed in conjunction with Northern analysis for a
first identification of induced gene expression. The exact function of candidate genes is subsequently studied by
analysis of available mutant strains and by gene silencing using RNA interference. We expect that this approach will
yield information about the conserved and variable components of the nematode's immune response. Considering
that only little information is as yet available for lower invertebrates, including C. elegans, these results
should provide novel insights into the evolution and function of the animal innate immune system.
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