Infections, such as that by the multiresistant opportunistic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, may pose a serious health risk, especially on vulnerable patient populations.
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans provides a simple organismal model to investigate
both pathogenic mechanisms and the emerging role of innate immunity in host protection.
Here, we review the virulence and infection strategies of P. aeruginosa and host defenses
of C. elegans. We summarize the recognition mechanisms of patterns of pathogenesis,
including novel pathogen-associated molecular patterns and surveillance immunity of
translation, mitochondria, and lysosome-related organelles. We also review the regulation
of antimicrobial and behavioral defenses by the worm’s neuroendocrine system. We focus
on how discoveries in this rich field align with well-characterized evolutionary conserved
protective pathways, as well as on potential crossovers to human pathogenesis and
innate immune responses.
