果蝇先天免疫分子机制研究进展

以果蝇为模式生物,在胚胎发育、基因表达调控、疾病发病机制以及昆虫先天免疫等方面的研究发挥了重要的作用。果蝇的先天免疫系统包括细胞免疫和体液免疫,当其遭受细菌、真菌和病毒等病原体攻击时,果蝇能通过细胞吞噬、集结、包囊作用以及产生抗菌肽等方式来清除入侵的微生物。结合近年来果蝇先天性免疫分子机制的研究进展,对其在病原体识别、信号转导途径及效应机制方面进行综述,为深入研究家蚕、蜜蜂等经济昆虫的免疫机制以及提高它们的经济效益提供参考。     

果蝇造血器官淋巴腺的研究进展

黑腹果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）是生物学研究中重要的模式生物之一。果蝇造血过程主要发生于胚胎和幼虫阶段,淋巴腺作为幼虫阶段的主要造血器官,由髓质区（medullary zone,MZ）、皮质区（cortical zone,CZ）及后端信号中心区（posterior signal center,PSC）组成。淋巴腺在多种信号通路的调控下,能够维持血细胞的增殖和分化相对稳态,这对于果蝇的造血活动和正常生存均具有重要作用。综述了造血器官淋巴腺的形成过程及维持淋巴腺稳态的信号调节通路,以期为淋巴腺血细胞的详细分类和相应的功能研究奠定理论基础。     

果蝇基因组与功能基因研究进展

黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster是生物科学研究中重要的模式动物之一。2000年,黑腹果蝇全基因组测序完成,随后基因组序列质量不断完善,对其功能基因进行深入研究,为其他高等动物基因组和功能基因的研究提供了巨大帮助。本文综述了近年来基因组功能元件、比较基因组学等方面的最新研究成果,着重介绍了功能基因在Hh信号通路、细胞凋亡方面的研究进展,并对最新的功能基因研究技术进行了简要概述。     

基于组学的寄生蜂与寄主免疫的相互作用

寄生蜂作为天敌昆虫,在害虫生物防治中起着极其重要的作用。现代分子生物学和第二代测序技术的迅速发展,为筛选寄生蜂与寄主免疫互作的关键分子,阐明寄生蜂逃避或抑制寄主免疫系统攻击的机理提供了新的机遇。昆虫的天然免疫可分为细胞免疫和体液免疫,寄生蜂在与寄主长期的协同进化过程中,依靠毒液(venom)、多分DNA病毒(PDV)、类病毒颗粒(VLP)、畸形细胞(teratocyte)等手段,一方面调控寄主血细胞的增殖和分化,抑制细胞包囊反应,从而破坏寄主的细胞免疫系统;另一方面,通过抑制酚氧化酶原激活干扰寄主的体液免疫,从而逃避黑化反应的攻击。寄生蜂在发育过程中也有相应的免疫防御机制。本文从细胞免疫、体液黑化反应以及免疫信号通路等方面,综述了近年来利用组学手段在寄生蜂调控寄主免疫方面取得的最新进展,以期为阐明天然免疫的分子机制、探索害虫防治新方法提供借鉴。     

黑腹果蝇先天免疫研究进展

先天免疫是昆虫适应复杂环境的关键,也是新型害虫防治的重要研究方向。昆虫通过模式识别受体识别环境中不同的病原物,激活先天免疫系统以清除病原物。昆虫的先天免疫系统主要包括体液免疫与细胞免疫,体液免疫包括免疫信号通路诱导产生抗菌肽、活性氧以及黑化作用等,细胞免疫包括血细胞的吞噬、包囊和凝结。本文将重点总结黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster在模式识别受体、免疫信号通路和细胞免疫相关方面的研究进展,为进一步研究其他经济昆虫与农业害虫的免疫机制,提高生产经济效益提供参考。     

昆虫先天性免疫信号通路研究进展

昆虫体内形成了强大的免疫防御系统,其被各种微生物攻击时能依靠病原相关分子模式识别蛋白对感染进行区分和激活体内信号通路诱导如抗菌肽之类的效应分子.昆虫体内控制先天性免疫的信号通路分别是:Toll通路、IMD通路和JAS/STAT通路,这3条通路在信号传递过程中存在协作,并且,这些通路与脊椎动物体内某些通路存在惊人相似、在免疫调控通路方面存在共同的进化起源.这揭示了先天性免疫在动物体内存在的普遍性和机体抵御病原感染的重要性.     

果蝇肠道干细胞研究进展

对果蝇Drosophila melanogaster Meigen肠道干细胞的研究现已触及生物学的很多方面,目前对这类细胞的研究主要集中于干细胞的小生境、信号路径的调控和细胞的分化,本文阐述了果蝇肠道干细胞研究方面的最新进展。果蝇肠道干细胞和脊椎动物肠道干细胞有诸多类似之处,所以弄清果蝇肠道干细胞的机理,可以为复杂的脊椎动物肠道干细胞研究提供了一定的理论基础。     

天然免疫系统新成员Akirin的研究进展

天然免疫系统是多细胞动物抵御细菌感染的第一道防线。Akirin是新近发现于果蝇中的天然免疫系统新成员,它在果蝇免疫缺陷(Imd)通路中发挥重要作用。Akirin同源基因广泛存在于从低等多细胞生物到高等脊椎动物中,进化上高度保守。已有的研究表明:Akirin在果蝇Imd通路和脊椎动物TLR通路下游,与NF-κB家族转录因子形成复合物,参与调控免疫相关靶基因的转录,是天然免疫调控机制中不可或缺的转录因子,其过表达或缺失直接影响动物对细菌的防御能力。近年来,Akirin在相关信号通路中的功能研究取得重大进展。该文对Akirin的结构、参与天然免疫的分子调控机制以及基因进化等方面进行综述。     

共生大肠杆菌促进黑腹果蝇生长发育

【背景】共生菌对宿主的很多生理功能有着重要影响,但微生物菌群的多样性和复杂性使得探索其潜在的机制存在困难。黑腹果蝇的无菌和悉菌模型可以被用来研究细菌和宿主的相互作用。【目的】分离和鉴定果蝇肠道大肠杆菌,并研究其对宿主生长发育的影响。【方法】利用大肠杆菌选择性培养基分离果蝇肠道大肠杆菌,通过16S rRNA基因序列比对鉴定菌株。利用体外和体内定殖实验验证共生关系。通过果蝇的发育历期和生长速率实验检测该细菌对宿主生长发育的影响。利用RT-qPCR技术对促胸腺激素及胰岛素信号通路相关基因的表达水平进行检测。【结果】从实验室饲养和野生果蝇肠道体内分离并鉴定得到大肠杆菌。体内和体外定殖试验中大肠杆菌可以和果蝇肠道共生菌共存,说明大肠杆菌是果蝇肠道共生菌。另外,大肠杆菌通过提高果蝇生长速率促进其发育。在分子水平上,大肠杆菌可以激活果蝇体内脑促胸腺激素和胰岛素信号通路相关基因的表达。【结论】大肠杆菌是果蝇肠道共生菌并能促进果蝇生长发育。     

Drosophila innate immune response pathways moonlight in neurodegeneration

In this Extra View, we highlight recent Drosophila research that has uncovered a new role for the innate immune response. The research indicates that, in addition to combating infection, the innate immune response promotes neurodegeneration. Our publication (Petersen et al., 2012) reveals a correlative relationship between the innate immune response and neurodegeneration in a model of the human disease Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T). We also found that glial cells are responsible for the innate immune response in the A-T model, and work by others implicates glial cells in neurodegeneration. Additionally, publications by Chinchore et al. (2012) and Tan et al. (2008) reveal a causative role for the innate immune response in models of human retinal degenerative disorders and Alzheimer disease, respectively. Collectively, these findings suggest that activation of the innate immune response is a shared cause of neurodegeneration in different human diseases.     

寄生蜂多分DNA病毒对寄主昆虫的免疫抑制作用

多分DNA病毒（PDV）是在膜翅目姬蜂科和茧蜂科寄生蜂体内的一类很独特的病毒,寄生蜂产卵时,PDV随同卵和萼液一起被注射入寄主体内,能干扰寄主的细胞免疫和体液免疫,该病毒直接侵染或间接作用于血细胞,主要是浆细胞和颗粒细胞,导致血细胞变圆或凋亡,PDV也能抑制血淋巴酚氧化酶活性,诱导抗菌因子的大量合成,最近有关研究主要集中在病毒基因的表达和伴随寄主血细胞功能失常的分子事件上,一些寄主蜂的PDV与其他因子,如卵巢蛋白,畸形细胞或蜂毒等协同发挥作用。     

Mitochondria and antiviral innate immunity

Mitochondria, dynamic organelles that undergo continuous cycles of fusion and fission, are the powerhouses of eukaryotic cells. Recent research indicates that mitochondria also act as platforms for antiviral immunity in vertebrates. Mitochondrial-mediated antiviral immunity depends on activation of the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors signal transduction pathway and the participation of the mitochondrial outer membrane adaptor protein “mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS)”. Here we discuss recent findings that suggest how mitochondria contribute to antiviral innate immunity.     

WntD and Diedel: Two immunomodulatory cytokines in Drosophila immunity

Remarkable progress has been made on the understanding of the basic mechanisms of innate immunity in flies, from sensing infection to production of effector molecules. However, how the immune response is orchestrated at the level of the organism remains poorly understood. While cytokines activating immune responses, such as Spaetzle or Unpaired-3, have been identified and characterized in Drosophila, much less is known regarding immunosuppressor cytokines. In a recent publication, we reported the identification of a novel cytokine, Diedel, which acts as systemic negative regulator of the IMD pathway. Here, we discuss the similarities between Diedel and WntD, another immunomodulatory cytokine and present evidence that the 2 molecules act independently from one another.     

Co-expression and immunity of Legionella pneumophila mip gene and immunoadjuvant ctxB gene

The mip gene of Legionella pneumophila and the ctxB gene of Vibrio cholerae were amplifiedby PCR respectively.The amplified cDNA was ligated to the pcDNA3.1(+)vector.The recombinant plasmidspcDNA3,1-mip and pcDNA3.1-ctxB were identified by restriction analysis and PCR,and further confirmedby sequencing analysis.NIH3T3 cells were transfected with pcDNA3.1-mip and pcDNA3.1-ctxB accordingto the Lipofection method.Transient and stable products of the co-expression of the mip gene and ctxB genewere detected by immunofluorescence and Western blotting.The results showed that NIH3T3 cells weresuccessfully transfected,and that the transiently and stably co-expressed products can be detected in thetransfected cells.To detect the humoral and cellular immune response in immunized mice induced by the co-immunization of the mip and ctxB genes,female BALB/c mice were immunized intramuscularly with pcDNA3.1-mip and pcDNA3.1-ctxB.The results showed that the specific antibody titer and the cytotoxic T-lymphocyteresponse for pcDNA3,1-mip immunization and co-immunization were increased compared with that ofpcDNA3.1(+) immunization.Furthermore,the specific antibody titer and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responsefor co-immunization were increased compared with that of pcDNA3.1-mip immunization.Statistical analysisusing one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA)showed that there was a significant difference between thegroups(P<0.01).The results indicated that the ctxB gene enhanced the humoral and cellular immune responseto the mip gene immunization.These findings provide experimental evidence to support the development ofthe L.pneumophila DNA vaccine.     

Drosophila as a model system to unravel the layers of innate immunity to infection

Innate immunity relies entirely upon germ-line encoded receptors, signalling components and effector molecules for the recognition and elimination of invading pathogens. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster with its powerful collection of genetic and genomic tools has been the model of choice to develop ideas about innate immunity and host-pathogen interactions. Here, we review current research in the field, encompassing all layers of defence from the role of the microbiota to systemic immune activation, and attempt to speculate on future directions and open questions.     

The cost of immunity in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti depends on immune activation

Although host immunity offers the obvious benefit of reducing parasite infection, it is often traded-off with other fitness components. We investigated whether the cost of an immune response in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is modulated by the antigen that activates the melanization immune response. Thus, one of three different novel antigens were injected into the mosquito's thorax--either a glass bead, a negatively charged (C-25) Sephadex bead, or a neutral (G-25) Sephadex bead--and fecundity and bead melanization were observed. Glass beads are immunologically inert and were therefore used as an inoculation control. The fecundity of mosquitoes inoculated with these beads did not differ from the fecundity of mosquitoes that did not melanize negatively charged or neutral beads. The ability of A. aegypti to melanize negatively charged Sephadex beads was associated with reduced fecundity, showing a clear cost of immunity. In contrast, melanization of the neutral beads was quite strong but had no effect on fecundity. Thus, the cost of what appeared to be the same immune response--melanization of a bead--depended on the type of bead that stimulated the immune system. Such differences might help to explain variation of immune efficacy against different parasites in natural populations.