title: Drosophila melanogaster is susceptible to Vibrio cholerae infection.
abstract: Infection of Drosophila melanogaster adults with 6 Vibrio species revealed that V. cholerae was lethal (100% mortality) within 20 h as a result of systemic infection. Avirulent infection by V. vulnificus restricted the subsequent virulent infection by V. cholerae. The immediate transcription of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), most notably Attacin A, was delayed in V. cholerae infection compared to V. vulnificus infection. Ectopic expression of Attacin A and Metchnikowin enhanced the survival of D. melanogaster upon V. cholerae infection. These results suggest that AMPs are important in the response to infections by Vibrio species and that the signaling pathways governing their expression may be targeted by V. cholerae virulence factors to elude the innate immunity of Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 121-742, Korea.
authors.forename: Shin-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yun-Jeong
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Kun-Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: You-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; C488990:AttA protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C091227:DRS protein, Drosophila; C096696:Mtk protein, Drosophila