title: Induction and regulation of antimicrobial peptides in Drosophila.
abstract: Activation of the innate immune response involves recognition of the infectious agent and the subsequent activation of cellular and humoral reactions. In insects, a number of immunity genes are activated at the level of transcription leading to the synthesis of antimicrobial peptides. Genetic analyses in Drosophila have identified several signal transduction pathways that promote activation of these immunity genes. Recent data suggest that the insect immune system is able to discriminate between a bacterial and a fungal infection, and responds by higher levels of activation of the appropriate peptides to repel the infection. These and other recent data on transcription factors and regulation of antimicrobial genes are integrated into a model to suggest how differential activation of antifungal and antibacterial peptides can occur in response to fungal and bacterial infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Stockholm University, Sweden. ylva.engstrom@molbio.su.se
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Engström
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005658:Fungi / Q000276:immunology; D050980:GATA Transcription Factors; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D017344:Genes, Insect / Q000276:immunology; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D019476:Insect Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010770:Phosphotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C118439:Ag-STAT protein, Anopheles gambiae; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D050980:GATA Transcription Factors; D019476:Insect Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C101626:Rel protein, Drosophila; D014157:Transcription Factors; C103965:srp protein, Drosophila; C077938:cact protein, Drosophila; D010770:Phosphotransferases