kri-1/KRIT1 promotes innate immune and lipid homeostasis in the C. elegans intestine.

In Caenorhabditis elegans, kri-1/KRIT1 is required for intestinal epithelial barrier integrity and host tolerance to bacterial infection, fecundity, and normal development.

• Why it matters: Resource allocation between innate immunity and lipid storage is crucial for reproductive success, but how conserved regulators coordinate these processes in the intestine is unclear.
• What they did: A forward genetic screen for regulators of innate immune gene transcription identified kri-1/KRIT1; mutants were tested for barrier integrity, infection tolerance, fecundity, development, and skn-1/NRF2-dependent immune transcription and lipid mobilization during aging.
• The result: kri-1/KRIT1 restrains skn-1/NRF2 activity to control immune gene transcription and likely intestinal lipid mobilization during aging, while also supporting epithelial integrity and pathogen tolerance through skn-1/NRF2-independent functions.

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