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PMID: 9482719 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

A drosomycin-GFP reporter transgene reveals a local immune response in Drosophila that is not dependent on the Toll pathway.

The EMBO journal ·Vol. 17 ·No. 5 ·1998-08-10 ·Pages 1217-27

Ferrandon D, Jung AC, Criqui M, Lemaitre B, Uttenweiler-Joseph S, Michaut L, Reichhart J, Hoffmann JA

Abstract

A hallmark of the systemic antimicrobial response of Drosophila is the synthesis by the fat body of several antimicrobial peptides which are released into the hemolymph in response to a septic injury. One of these peptides, drosomycin, is active primarily against fungi. Using a drosomycin-green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene, we now show that in addition to the fat body, a variety of epithelial tissues that are in direct contact with the external environment, including those of the respiratory, digestive and reproductive tracts, can express the antifungal peptide, suggesting a local response to infections affecting these barrier tissues. As is the case for vertebrate epithelia, insect epithelia appear to be more than passive physical barriers and are likely to constitute an active component of innate immunity. We also show that, in contrast to the systemic antifungal response, this local immune response is independent of the Toll pathway.

MeSH Terms
Animals Bacteria/immunology Digestive System/chemistry Drosophila/chemistry,genetics,immunology Drosophila Proteins Epithelium/chemistry Fat Body/chemistry Female Gene Expression Regulation/immunology Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/immunology Genes, Reporter/genetics Green Fluorescent Proteins Insect Proteins/analysis,genetics,physiology Larva Luminescent Proteins/genetics Male Membrane Glycoproteins/physiology Organ Specificity Receptors, Cell Surface Respiratory System/chemistry Spores, Fungal/immunology Toll-Like Receptors Trachea/chemistry Transgenes/genetics
Chemicals
Drosophila Proteins Insect Proteins Luminescent Proteins Membrane Glycoproteins Receptors, Cell Surface Tl protein, Drosophila Toll-Like Receptors Green Fluorescent Proteins DRS protein, Drosophila
Authors & Affiliations
8 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Ferrandon D
Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, UPR 9022 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 15, rue René Descartes, F67084 Strasbourg, France.
Jung A C
Criqui M
Lemaitre B
Uttenweiler-Joseph S
Michaut L
Reichhart J
Hoffmann J A
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Article Info
Journal
The EMBO journal
Abbr.
EMBO J
ISSN
0261-4189
DOI
10.1093/emboj/17.5.1217
Published
1998-08-10
Pages
1217-27
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
8208664
PMCID
PMC1170470
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1093/emboj/17.5.1217 PMC Full Text View journal details
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