Ioannis Eleftherianos1, Julio Cesar Castillo2, Jelena Patrnogic3. 1. Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address: ioannise@gwu.edu. 2. Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA; Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, MD, USA. 3. Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Abstract
Over the past decade important advances have been made in the field of innate immunity; however, our appreciation of the signaling pathways and molecules that participate in host immune responses to parasitic nematode infections lags behind that of responses to microbial challenges. Here we have examined the regulation and immune activity of Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling in the model host Drosophila melanogaster upon infection with the nematode parasites Heterorhabditis gerrardi and H. bacteriophora containing their mutualistic bacteria Photorhabdus. We have found that the genes encoding the Activin and Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP) ligands Dawdle (Daw) and Decapentaplegic (Dpp) are transcriptionally induced in flies responding to infection with the nematode parasites, containing or lacking their associated bacteria. We also show that deficient Daw or Dpp regulates the survival of D. melanogaster adults to the pathogens, whereas inactivation of Daw reduces the persistence of the nematodes in the mutant flies. These findings demonstrate a novel role for the TGF-β signaling pathways in the host anti-nematode immune response. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of host anti-nematode processes will potentially lead to the development of novel means for the efficient control of parasitic nematodes.
Over the past decade important advances have been made in the field of innate immunity; however, our appreciation of the signaling pathways and molecules that participate in host immune responses to parasitic nematode infections lags behind that of responses to microbial challenges. Here we have examined the regulation and immune activity of Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling in the model pan class="Disease">host Drosophila melanogaster upon infection with the nematode parasites Heterorhabditis gerrardi and H. bacteriophora containing their mutualistic bacteria Photorhabdus. We have found that the genes encoding the Activin and Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP) ligands Dawdle (Daw) and Decapentaplegic (Dpp) are transcriptionally induced in flies responding to infection with the nematode parasites, containing or lacking their associated bacteria. We also show that deficient Daw or Dpp regulates the survival of D. melanogaster adults to the pathogens, whereas inactivation of Daw reduces the persistence of the nematodes in the mutant flies. These findings demonstrate a novel role for the TGF-β signaling pathways in the host anti-nematode immune response. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of host anti-nematode processes will potentially lead to the development of novel means for the efficient control of parasitic nematodes.
Authors: Paul Wilkinson; Konrad Paszkiewicz; Alex Moorhouse; Jan M Szubert; Scott Beatson; John Gerrard; Nicholas R Waterfield; Richard H Ffrench-Constant Journal: FEMS Microbiol Lett Date: 2010-06-08 Impact factor: 2.742
Authors: Zhi Wang; Christine Wilhelmsson; Pavel Hyrsl; Torsten G Loof; Pavel Dobes; Martina Klupp; Olga Loseva; Matthias Mörgelin; Jennifer Iklé; Richard M Cripps; Heiko Herwald; Ulrich Theopold Journal: PLoS Pathog Date: 2010-02-12 Impact factor: 6.823
Authors: Ming O Li; Yisong Y Wan; Shomyseh Sanjabi; Anna-Karin L Robertson; Richard A Flavell Journal: Annu Rev Immunol Date: 2006 Impact factor: 28.527