Edin Expression in the Fat Body Is Required in the Defense Against Parasitic Wasps in Drosophila melanogaster

PLoS Pathogens

Mika Rämet¹  Laura Vesala¹  Leena-Maija Vanha-aho²  Dan Hultmark³  Susanna Valanne³  Ines Anderl³ 

[1] Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, BioMediTech, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland;Laboratory of Genetic Immunology, BioMediTech, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

关键词: Larvae;    Fats;    Hemocytes;    Wasps;    Drosophila melanogaster;    RNA interference;    Parasitic diseases;    Drosophila;   

DOI  :  10.1371/journal.ppat.1004895

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Public Library of Science

【 摘 要 】

The cellular immune response against parasitoid wasps in Drosophila involves the activation, mobilization, proliferation and differentiation of different blood cell types. Here, we have assessed the role of Edin (elevated during infection) in the immune response against the parasitoid wasp Leptopilina boulardi in Drosophila melanogaster larvae. The expression of edin was induced within hours after a wasp infection in larval fat bodies. Using tissue-specific RNAi, we show that Edin is an important determinant of the encapsulation response. Although edin expression in the fat body was required for the larvae to mount a normal encapsulation response, it was dispensable in hemocytes. Edin expression in the fat body was not required for lamellocyte differentiation, but it was needed for the increase in plasmatocyte numbers and for the release of sessile hemocytes into the hemolymph. We conclude that edin expression in the fat body affects the outcome of a wasp infection by regulating the increase of plasmatocyte numbers and the mobilization of sessile hemocytes in Drosophila larvae.

【 授权许可】

CC BY