The humoral antibacterial response of Drosophila.
Drosophila, like other insects, responds to the injection of bacteria by the rapid and transient synthesis of a battery of potent antibacterial peptides. Only a few of these peptides have been fully characterized to date. We review our recent data on the control of the expression of a gene encoding one of the induced peptides, i.e. diptericin. Our data highlight the role of proximal cis-regulatory motifs similar to regulatory elements binding NF-kappa B and NF-IL6 in promoters of some immune genes of mammals. We argue that the Drosophila host defense is homologous to the mammalian acute phase response.
Hoffmann
J A
JA
Laboratoire de Biologie Générale, Université Louis Pasteur, URA 1490 du CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
Hetru
C
C
Reichhart
J M
JM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D017344:Genes, Insect; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017385:Sequence Homology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C054756:DptA protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D019476:Insect Proteins