title: Innate immunity in higher insects.
abstract: The hallmark of the innate immune response of higher insects is the rapid and transient synthesis of a battery of broad spectrum antimicrobial peptides by the fat body. The control of the genes encoding these peptides involves cis-regulatory promoter elements homologous to sequences functional in mammalian acute-phase genes. Study of immune-deficient mutants of Drosophila has indicated that distinct pathways control the antibacterial and antifungal responses in this species. Novel receptors potentially involved in the initiation of the immune response have been recently characterized.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Reichhart
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hetru
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D007313:Insecta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018448:Models, Immunological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000276:immunology; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000276:immunology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases