Publication Date:
2019-04-04
Description:
Self-recognition is observed abundantly throughout the natural world, regulating diverse biological processes. Although ubiquitous, often little is known of the associated molecular machinery, and so far, organismal self-recognition has never been described in nematodes. We investigated the predatory nematode Pristionchus pacificus and, through interactions with its prey, revealed a self-recognition mechanism acting on the nematode surface, capable of distinguishing self-progeny from closely related strains. We identified the small peptide SELF-1, which is composed of an invariant domain and a hypervariable C terminus, as a key component of self-recognition. Modifications to the hypervariable region, including single–amino acid substitutions, are sufficient to eliminate self-recognition. Thus, the P. pacificus self-recognition system enables this nematode to avoid cannibalism while promoting the killing of competing nematodes.
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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