Mutations of nhr-49 affect C. elegans susceptibility to Yersinia biofilms.

The C. elegans transcription factor NHR-49 has been extensively studied for its functions in regulating metabolic processes, stress responses, innate immunity and aging. Molecular identification of a gene previously known as bah-3 , which affects susceptibility of worms to deleterious surface attachment of bacterial biofilms from Yersinia spp., revealed that bah-3 ( dc9 ) is an ochre nonsense allele of nhr-49 . Other severe mutations of nhr-49 also had a Bah phenotype, but deletions affecting 5' isoforms of the gene did not affect biofilm attachment, nor did 3' gain-of-function missense mutations. Other bah genes ( bah-1 , bah-2 , bah-4 ) encode GT92 glycosylation factors, predicted to affect surface coat. NHR-49 may act as a positive transcription factor for one or more of these surface glycosylation genes, in contrast to its other roles in regulating metabolic processes.