Neural-Immune Communication in Caenorhabditis elegans

Communication between the nervous and immune systems is fundamental to animal physiology. However, the complicated anatomy and signaling pathways of these systems in mammals challenge the understanding of the neural-immune interaction at molecular, cellular, and organismic levels. Caenorhabditis elegans has been valuable in this regard because of its simple, well-defined nervous system and accessibility to genetic, molecular, and behavioral analyses. Recent studies in C. elegans have identified neuronal pathways that regulate signaling cascades in innate immune responses, including a neuroendocrine network, a TGF-beta pathway and dopaminergic neurotransmission, illuminating how specific neuronal signaling molecules and circuits control integrative immune responses.