drosophila-melanogaster-larva-injection-protocol

<em>Drosophila melanogaster</em> Larva Injection Protocol

The use of unconventional models to study innate immunity and pathogen virulence provides a valuable alternative to mammalian models, which can be costly ...

The George Washington University

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is extensively used as a model species for molecular biology and genetics. It is also widely studied for its innate immune system to expand our understanding of immune host defenses against numerous pathogens. More precisely, studies using both natural and nonnatural Drosophila pathogens have provided a better perspective of viral infection strategies and immunity processes than any other invertebrate. This has made significant advances in identifying and characterizing the innate immune mechanisms by which hosts can combat viral pathogens. However, in-depth studies on antiviral immunity are still lacking due in part to the narrow research focus on the evolution and conservation of antiviral strategies to combat infections caused by both natural and nonnatural viruses. In this review, we will cover three major areas. First, we will describe the well-characterized antiviral immune mechanisms in Drosophila. Second, we will survey the specific pathways induced by natural viruses that have been studied in Drosophila. Finally, we will discuss the pathways activated by nonnatural viruses, drawing comparisons to natural viruses and giving an unprecedented insight into the virus community of Drosophila that is necessary to understand the evolutionary and immune context needed to develop Drosophila as a model for virus research.

Drosophila immunity against natural and nonnatural viral pathogens.

As members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) regulate cell responses to a wide range of extrinsic and intrinsic insults, including irradiation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA damage, heat, bacterial antigens, and inflammatory cytokines. Particularly, JNK signaling regulates and promotes many important physiological processes that influence metabolic and tissue homeostasis, cell death/survival, and cell damage repair and ultimately impacts the lifespan of an organism. This diverse functionality causes a variety of tissue-specific and context-specific cellular responses, mediated by various cross talks between JNK and other cellular signaling pathways. Thus, highlighting its significance as a determinant of stress responses, JNK loss-of-function mutations have been implicated in a multitude of pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Because JNK functions are specified in a context-dependent manner and can greatly vary, the underlying causes for these different outcomes remain largely unresolved despite the gained knowledge of many regulatory roles of JNK signaling during the past two decades. In Drosophila melanogaster, JNK signaling is conserved and required for immune responses, as well as the development for morphogenetic processes (embryonic dorsal closure and thorax closure). Therefore, Drosophila innate immunity provides the ideal model to understand the complex mechanisms underlying JNK activation and regulation. In the following, we review studies in Drosophila that highlight several mechanisms by which JNK signaling influences immunity and homeostasis.

Ghada Tafesh-Edwards

Infection and Innate Immunity Laboratory,
Department of Biological Sciences,
Institute for Biomedical Sciences,
Infection and Innate Immunity Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Biomedical Sciences

The George Washington University

Drosophila melanogaster Larva Injection Protocol

Ghada Tafesh-Edwards

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Infection and Innate Immunity Laboratory,Department of Biological Sciences,Institute for Biomedical Sciences,Infection and Innate Immunity Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Biomedical Sciences

The George Washington University

Drosophila melanogaster Larva Injection Protocol

Infection and Innate Immunity Laboratory,
Department of Biological Sciences,
Institute for Biomedical Sciences,
Infection and Innate Immunity Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Biomedical Sciences