Drosophila muscles regulate the immune response against wasp infection via carbohydrate metabolism

• We recently found that JAK/STAT signaling in skeletal muscles is important for the immune response of Drosophila larvae against wasp infection, but it was not clear how muscles could affect the immune response. Here we show that insulin signaling is required in muscles, but not in fat body or hemocytes, during larval development for an efficient encapsulation response and for the formation of lamellocytes. This effect requires TOR signaling. We show that muscle tissue affects the immune response by acting as a master regulator of carbohydrate metabolism in the infected animal, via JAK/STAT and insulin signaling in the muscles, and that there is indirect positive feedback between JAK/STAT and insulin signaling in the muscles. Specifically, stimulation of JAK/STAT signaling in the muscles can rescue the deficient immune response when insulin signaling is suppressed. Our results shed new light on the interaction between metabolism, immunity, and tissue communication.

Ämnesord

Natural Sciences  (hsv)

Biological Sciences  (hsv)

Immunology  (hsv)

Naturvetenskap  (hsv)

Biologiska vetenskaper  (hsv)

Immunologi  (hsv)

Medical and Health Sciences  (hsv)

Basic Medicine  (hsv)

Cell and Molecular Biology  (hsv)

Medicin och hälsovetenskap  (hsv)

Medicinska grundvetenskaper  (hsv)

Cell- och molekylärbiologi  (hsv)

Molecular Immunology  (umu)

molekylär immunologi  (umu)

Nyckelord

Drosophila

innate immunity

hemocytes

parasitoid wasps

Jak/Stat signaling

insulin

glycogen