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Free keywords:
INNATE IMMUNE-RESPONSE; POSITIVE BACTERIAL-INFECTIONS; KAPPA-B KINASE;
PEPTIDOGLYCAN-RECOGNITION; ANTIBACTERIAL DEFENSE; INDUCIBLE EXPRESSION;
DEFICIENCY IMD; TOLL PATHWAY; MELANOGASTER; RELISHInfection; Bacteria; Innate immunity; Drosophila; Antimicrobial peptide;
Abstract:
Upon microbial invasion the innate immune system of Drosophila melanogaster mounts a response that comes in two distinct but complimentary forms, humoral and cellular. A screen to find genes capable of conferring resistance to the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus upon ectopic expression in immune response tissues uncovered imd gene. This resistance was not dependent on cellular defenses but rather likely a result of upregulation of the humoral response through increased expression of antimicrobial peptides, including a Toll pathway reporter gene drosomycin. Taken together it appears that Imd pathway is capable of playing a role in resistance to the Gram-positive S. aureus, counter to notions of traditional roles of the Imd pathway thought largely to responsible for resistance to Gram-negative bacteria. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
