Immunity in Drosophila melanogaster — from microbial recognition to whole- organism physiology

The Drosophila melanogaster immune response is integrated with multiple inter‑organ regulatory circuits. a | The fat body is a central regulator of metabolic control. Here, Toll signalling through the nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) transcription factor Dif inhibits insulin signalling and retards growth, whereas forkhead box subgroup O (Foxo) — the downstream target of the insulin pathway — regulates the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and anabolic genes. b | In larvae, the steroid hormone Ecdysone is produced in a secretory organ associated with the brain (known as the ring gland), whereas the source of Ecdysone is less well characterized in adult flies. Ecdysone is a major regulator of the D. melanogaster lifecycle, as well as the immune response, through controlling the expression of peptidoglycan recognition protein LC (PGRP‑LC) in the fat body and the phagocytic activity of pupal haemocytes. c | The gut microbiota further influences the insulin signalling pathway by regulating the production of Drosophila insulin‑like peptides (Dilps) in the brain. Dilp production and robust growth are triggered by acetic acid that is produced by Acetobacter species in the gut, and potentially triggered by optimization of amino acid levels provided by other components of microbiota. d | The central nervous system further regulates immune responses in the Malpighian tubules through the production of neuropeptides that are thought to trigger a nitric oxide (NO)‑dependent NF‑κB response in this organ. The faded part of this panel indicates a hypothetical role for the Imd pathway. cGMP, cyclic guanosine monophosphate; EcR, Ecdysone receptor; GC, guanylyl cyclase; Imd, immune deficiency; IPC, insulin‑producing cell; Nos, nitric oxide synthase; Tor, target of rapamycin.

Publication

Immunity in Drosophila melanogaster — from microbial recognition to whole- organism physiology. (2014) Nicolas Buchon, et al. Nat Rev Immunol. 2014 Dec;14(12):796-810. Figure: F5. All organisms Drosophila melanogaster Homo sapiens

Disease mentions