scholarly journals Macronutrients modulate resistance to infection and immunity in Drosophila

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fleur Ponton ◽  
Juliano Morimoto ◽  
Katie Robinson ◽  
Sheemal S Kumar ◽  
Sheena Cotter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Function ◽  
Micrococcus Luteus ◽  
Constitutive Expression ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Macronutrient Intake ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Immune Genes ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Resistance To Infection ◽  
Nutritional Immunology

Immunity and nutrition are two essential modulators of individual fitness However, while the implications of immune function and nutrition on an individual s lifespan and reproduction are known, the interplay between feeding behaviour, infection, and immune function, remains poorly understood. In this study, we used the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to investigate how infection through septic injury modulates nutritional intake, and how macronutrient balance affects survival to infection by the pathogenic Gram-positive bacterium Micrococcus luteus. Our results show that infected flies maintain carbohydrate intake, but reduce protein intake, thereby shifting from a protein-to-carbohydrate (P:C) ratio of ~1:4 to ~1:10 relative to non-infected and sham-infected flies. Strikingly, we found that the proportion of flies dying after M. luteus infection was significantly lower when flies were fed a low-P high-C diet, revealing that flies shift their macronutrient intake as means of nutritional self-medication against bacterial infection. This is likely due to the effects of macronutrient balance on the regulation of the constitutive expression of innate immune genes, as a low-P high-C diet was linked to an up-regulation in the expression of key antimicrobial peptides. Together, our results reveal the intricate relationship between macronutrient intake and resistance to infection, and integrate the molecular cross-talk between metabolic and immune pathways into the framework of nutritional immunology.

scholarly journals Divergence in Coding Sequence and Expression of Different Functional Categories of Immune Genes between Two Wild Rodent Species

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuqin Zhong ◽  
Max Lundberg ◽  
Lars Råberg
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Immune Function ◽  
Sequence Divergence ◽  
Expression Divergence ◽  
Functional Categories ◽  
Coding Sequence ◽  
Immune Genes ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Signal Transduction Proteins

Abstract Differences in immune function between species could be a result of interspecific divergence in coding sequence and/or expression of immune genes. Here, we investigate how the degree of divergence in coding sequence and expression differs between functional categories of immune genes, and if differences between categories occur independently of other factors (expression level, pleiotropy). To this end, we compared spleen transcriptomes of wild-caught yellow-necked mice and bank voles. Immune genes expressed in the spleen were divided into four categories depending on the function of the encoded protein: pattern recognition receptors (PRR); signal transduction proteins; transcription factors; and cyto- and chemokines and their receptors. Genes encoding PRR and cyto-/chemokines had higher sequence divergence than genes encoding signal transduction proteins and transcription factors, even when controlling for potentially confounding factors. Genes encoding PRR also had higher expression divergence than genes encoding signal transduction proteins and transcription factors. There was a positive correlation between expression divergence and coding sequence divergence, in particular for PRR genes. We propose that this is a result of that divergence in PRR coding sequence leads to divergence in PRR expression through positive feedback of PRR ligand binding on PRR expression. When controlling for sequence divergence, expression divergence of PRR genes did not differ from other categories. Taken together, the results indicate that coding sequence divergence of PRR genes is a major cause of differences in immune function between species.

scholarly journals The Homeobox Gene Caudal Regulates Constitutive Local Expression of Antimicrobial Peptide Genes in Drosophila Epithelia

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 172-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-Hwan Ryu ◽  
Ki-Bum Nam ◽  
Chun-Taek Oh ◽  
Hyuck-Jin Nam ◽  
Sung-Hee Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Peptide ◽  
Regulatory Mechanism ◽  
Constitutive Expression ◽  
Homeobox Gene ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Tissue Specific ◽  
Immune Genes ◽  
Innate Immune Genes ◽  
Master Control ◽  
Local Expression

ABSTRACT In Drosophila melanogaster, although the NF-κB transcription factors play a pivotal role in the inducible expression of innate immune genes, such as antimicrobial peptide genes, the exact regulatory mechanism of the tissue-specific constitutive expression of these genes in barrier epithelia is largely unknown. Here, we show that the Drosophila homeobox gene product Caudal functions as the innate immune transcription modulator that is responsible for the constitutive local expression of antimicrobial peptides cecropin and drosomycin in a tissue-specific manner. These results suggest that certain epithelial tissues have evolved a unique constitutive innate immune strategy by recruiting a developmental “master control” gene.

scholarly journals Rapid seasonal evolution in innate immunity of wild Drosophila melanogaster

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily L. Behrman ◽  
Virginia M. Howick ◽  
Martin Kapun ◽  
Fabian Staubach ◽  
Alan O. Bergland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Function ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Immune Defense ◽  
Functional Responses ◽  
Immune Genes ◽  
Latitudinal Transect ◽  
Outbred Populations

AbstractUnderstanding the rate of evolutionary change and the genetic architecture that facilitates rapid adaptation is a current challenge in evolutionary biology. Comparative studies show that genes with immune function are among the most rapidly evolving genes in a range of taxa. Here, we use immune defense in natural populations of D. melanogaster to understand the rate of evolution in natural populations and the genetics underlying the rapid change. We probed the immune system using the natural pathogens Enterococcus faecalis and Providencia rettgeri to measure post-infection survival and bacterial load of wild D. melanogaster populations collected across seasonal time along a latitudinal transect on the eastern North America (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia). There are pronounced and repeatable changes in the immune response over approximately 10 generations between the spring and fall populations with a significant but less distinct difference among geographic locations. Genes with known immune function are not enriched among alleles that cycle with seasonal time, but the immune function of a subset of seasonally cycling alleles in immune genes was tested using reconstructed outbred populations. We find that flies containing seasonal alleles in Thioester-containing protein 3 (Tep3) have different functional responses to infection and that epistatic interactions among seasonal Tep3 and Drosomycin-like 6 (Dro6) alleles produce the immune phenotypes observed in natural populations. This rapid, cyclic response to seasonal environmental pressure broadens our understanding of the complex ecological and genetic interactions determining the evolution of immune defense in natural populations.

scholarly journals NUTRITION AND HEALTH: COMPANION ANIMAL APPLICATIONS: Functional nutrition in livestock and companion animals to modulate the immune response

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Ann Bobeck
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Immune Function ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Feed Additives ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Additional Layer ◽  
Nutrition And Diet ◽  
Microbial Infections ◽  
Health Companion ◽  
Nutritional Immunology

Abstract Advances in the understanding of how the immune system functions in response to diet have altered the way we think about feeding livestock and companion animals on both the short (weeks/months) and long-term (years) timelines; however, depth of research in each of these species varies. Work dedicated to understanding how immune function can be altered with diet has revealed additional functions of required nutrients such as vitamins D and E, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and minerals such as zinc, while feed additives such as phytogenics and probiotics add an additional layer of immunomodulating potential to modern diets. For certain nutrients such as vitamin D or omega-3 PUFA, inclusion above currently recommended levels may optimize immune function and reduce inflammation, while for others such as zinc, additional pharmacological supplementation above requirements may inhibit immune function. Also to consider is the potential to over-immunomodulate, where important functions such as clearance of microbial infections may be reduced when supplementation reduces the inflammatory action of the immune system. Continued work in the area of nutritional immunology will further enhance our understanding of the power of nutrition and diet to improve health in both livestock and companion animals. This review collects examples from several species to highlight the work completed to understand how nutrition can be used to alter immune function, intended or not.

scholarly journals Genome-wide survey of cytochrome P450 genes in the salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer, 1837)

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph L. Humble ◽  
Greta Carmona-Antoñanzas ◽  
Carol M. McNair ◽  
David R. Nelson ◽  
David I. Bassett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome P450 ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Constitutive Expression ◽  
Transcript Abundance ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Environmental Chemicals ◽  
Veterinary Drug ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Lepeophtheirus Salmonis ◽  
Salmon Louse

Abstract Background The salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) infests farmed and wild salmonid fishes, causing considerable economic damage to the salmon farming industry. Infestations of farmed salmon are controlled using a combination of non-medicinal approaches and veterinary drug treatments. While L. salmonis has developed resistance to most available salmon delousing agents, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved. Members of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily are typically monooxygenases, some of which are involved in the biosynthesis and metabolism of endogenous compounds, while others have central roles in the detoxification of xenobiotics. In terrestrial arthropods, insecticide resistance can be based on the enhanced expression of CYPs. The reported research aimed to characterise the CYP superfamily in L. salmonis and assess its potential roles in drug resistance. Methods Lepeophtheirus salmonis CYPs were identified by homology searches of the genome and transcriptome of the parasite. CYP transcript abundance in drug susceptible and multi-resistant L. salmonis was assessed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR, taking into account both constitutive expression and expression in parasites exposed to sublethal levels of salmon delousing agents, ecdysteroids and environmental chemicals. Results The above strategy led to the identification of 25 CYP genes/pseudogenes in L. salmonis, making its CYP superfamily the most compact characterised for any arthropod to date. Lepeophtheirus salmonis possesses homologues of a number of arthropod CYP genes with roles in ecdysteroid metabolism, such as the fruit fly genes disembodied, shadow, shade, spook and Cyp18a1. CYP transcript expression did not differ between one drug susceptible and one multi-resistant strain of L. salmonis. Exposure of L. salmonis to emamectin benzoate or deltamethrin caused the transcriptional upregulation of certain CYPs. In contrast, neither ecdysteroid nor benzo[a]pyrene exposure affected CYP transcription significantly. Conclusions The parasite L. salmonis is demonstrated to possess the most compact CYP superfamily characterised for any arthropod to date. The complement of CYP genes in L. salmonis includes conserved CYP genes involved in ecdysteroid biosynthesis and metabolism, as well as drug-inducible CYP genes. The present study does not provide evidence for a role of CYP genes in the decreased susceptibility of the multiresistant parasite strain studied.

scholarly journals Rapid seasonal evolution in innate immunity of wild Drosophila melanogaster

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1870) ◽  
pp. 20172599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily L. Behrman ◽  
Virginia M. Howick ◽  
Martin Kapun ◽  
Fabian Staubach ◽  
Alan O. Bergland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Immune Function ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Immune Defence ◽  
Functional Responses ◽  
Immune Genes ◽  
Outbred Populations

Understanding the rate of evolutionary change and the genetic architecture that facilitates rapid adaptation is a current challenge in evolutionary biology. Comparative studies show that genes with immune function are among the most rapidly evolving genes across a range of taxa. Here, we use immune defence in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster to understand the rate of evolution in natural populations and the genetics underlying rapid change. We probed the immune system using the natural pathogens Enterococcus faecalis and Providencia rettgeri to measure post-infection survival and bacterial load of wild D. melanogaster populations collected across seasonal time along a latitudinal transect along eastern North America (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia). There are pronounced and repeatable changes in the immune response over the approximately 10 generations between spring and autumn collections, with a significant but less distinct difference observed among geographical locations. Genes with known immune function are not enriched among alleles that cycle with seasonal time, but the immune function of a subset of seasonally cycling alleles in immune genes was tested using reconstructed outbred populations. We find that flies containing seasonal alleles in Thioester-containing protein 3 ( Tep3 ) have different functional responses to infection and that epistatic interactions among seasonal Tep3 and Drosomycin-like 6 ( Dro6 ) alleles underlie the immune phenotypes observed in natural populations. This rapid, cyclic response to seasonal environmental pressure broadens our understanding of the complex ecological and genetic interactions determining the evolution of immune defence in natural populations.

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