title: Insights from natural host-parasite interactions: the Drosophila model.
abstract: Immune responses against opportunistic pathogens have been extensively studied in Drosophila, leading to a detailed map of the genetics behind innate immunity networks including the Toll, Imd, Jak-Stat, and JNK pathways. However, immune mechanisms of other organisms, such as plants, have primarily been investigated using natural pathogens. It was the use of natural pathogens in plant research that revealed the plant R-Avr system, a specialized immune response derived from antagonistic coevolution between plant immune proteins and their natural pathogens' virulence proteins. Thus, we recommend that researchers begin to use natural Drosophila pathogens to identify novel immune strategies that may have arisen through antagonistic coevolution with common natural pathogens. In this review, we address the benefits of using natural pathogens in research, describe the known natural pathogens of Drosophila, and discuss the future prospects for research on natural pathogens of Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, United States. Electronic address: ekeebau@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Erin S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Keebaugh
authors.forename: Todd A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Schlenke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D023421:Models, Animal; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010944:Plants / Q000276:immunology; D013559:Symbiosis; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; C085200:R protein, Zea mays; D037521:Virulence Factors
keywords: Coevolution; Drosophila immunity; Natural pathogens