The Marginal Cells of the Caenorhabditis Elegans Pharynx Scavenge Cholesterol and Other Hydrophobic Small Molecules

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2019 Sep 4

PMID 31477732

Citations 9

Authors

Muntasir Kamal

Houtan Moshiri

Lilia Magomedova

Duhyun Han

Ken C Q Nguyen

May Yeo

Jessica Knox

Rachel Bagg

Amy M Won

Karolina Szlapa

Christopher M Yip

Carolyn L Cummins

David H Hall

Peter J Roy

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a bacterivore filter feeder. Through the contraction of the worm's pharynx, a bacterial suspension is sucked into the pharynx's lumen. Excess liquid is then shunted out of the buccal cavity through ancillary channels made by surrounding marginal cells. We find that many worm-bioactive small molecules (a.k.a. wactives) accumulate inside of the marginal cells as crystals or globular spheres. Through screens for mutants that resist the lethality associated with one crystallizing wactive we identify a presumptive sphingomyelin-synthesis pathway that is necessary for crystal and sphere accumulation. We find that expression of sphingomyelin synthase 5 (SMS-5) in the marginal cells is not only sufficient for wactive accumulation but is also important for absorbing exogenous cholesterol, without which C. elegans cannot develop. We conclude that sphingomyelin-rich marginal cells act as a sink to scavenge important nutrients from filtered liquid that might otherwise be shunted back into the environment.

Citing Articles

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PGP-14 establishes a polar lipid permeability barrier within the C. elegans pharyngeal cuticle.

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A spatiotemporal reconstruction of the pharyngeal cuticle reveals a structure rich in phase-separating proteins.

Kamal M, Tokmakjian L, Knox J, Mastrangelo P, Ji J, Cai H Elife. 2022; 11.

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