Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40112269›Full record

ArticlePLoS genetics2025

A defining member of the new cysteine-cradle family is an aECM protein signalling skin damage in C. elegans.

Thomas Sonntag, Shizue Omi, Antonina Andreeva, Claire Valotteau, Jeanne Eichelbrenner, Andrew D Chisholm, Jordan D Ward, Nathalie Pujol

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS genetics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. A Lipocalin and a Hedgehog-related protein are partners in thebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Pre-cuticle DPY-6 acts as a blueprint for aECM periodic organization inbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Thomas SonntagAix Marseille Univ, INSERM, CNRS, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France.
Shizue OmiAix Marseille Univ, INSERM, CNRS, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2711-2016
Antonina AndreevaEuropean Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0450-0091
Claire ValotteauAix-Marseille Univ, INSERM, DyNaMo, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1436-8506
Jeanne EichelbrennerAix Marseille Univ, INSERM, CNRS, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France.
Andrew D ChisholmDepartment of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5091-0537
Jordan D WardDepartment of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9870-8936
Nathalie PujolAix Marseille Univ, INSERM, CNRS, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8889-3197

Funding

Enhancing and expanding the CGC Strain CollectionP40OD010440 · OD · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI Aric L Daul, Ann E. Rougvie · 2012 to 2026
$7.5M
Maintenance and Repair of the C. elegans SkinR35GM134970 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI CHISHOLM, ANDREW D · 2020 to 2024
$2.1M
Illuminating apical extracellular matrix structure and biogenesisR21OD033663 · OD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ · PI CHISHOLM, ANDREW D, WARD, JORDAN DAVID · 2022 to 2023
$429k
NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM134970NIH HHS P40 OD010440NIH HHS R21 OD033663
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Apical extracellular matrices (aECMs) act as crucial barriers, and communicate with the epidermis to trigger protective responses following injury or infection. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the skin aECM, the cuticle, is produced by the epidermis and is decorated with periodic circumferential furrows. We previously showed that mutants lacking cuticle furrows exhibit persistent immune activation (PIA), providing a valuable model to study the link between cuticle damage and immune response. In a genetic suppressor screen, we identified spia-1 as a key gene downstream of furrow collagens and upstream of immune signalling. spia-1 expression oscillates during larval development, peaking between each moult together with patterning cuticular components. It encodes a secreted protein that localises to furrows. SPIA-1 shares a novel cysteine-cradle domain with other aECM proteins. SPIA-1 mediates immune activation in response to furrow loss and is proposed to act as an extracellular signal activator of cuticle damage. This research provides a molecular insight into intricate interplay between cuticle integrity and epidermal immune activation in C. elegans.

Indexed as

Caenorhabditis elegansCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsExtracellular MatrixExtracellular Matrix ProteinsAnimalsCysteineEpidermisMutationSignal TransductionSkinCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsCysteineExtracellular Matrix Proteins

Identifiers

PMID40112269
PMCPMC11925461

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.