Steroid hormone signaling is essential to regulate innate immune cells and fight bacterial infection in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Coupling immunity and development is essential to ensure survival despite changing internal conditions in the organism. Drosophila metamorphosis represents a striking example of drastic and systemic physiological changes that need to be integrated with the innate immune system. However, nothing is known about the mechanisms that coordinate development and immune cell activity in the transition from larva to adult. Here, we reveal that regulation of macrophage-like cells (hemocytes) by the steroid hormone ecdysone is essential for an effective innate immune response over metamorphosis. Although it is generally accepted that steroid hormones impact immunity in mammals, their action on monocytes (e.g. macrophages and neutrophils) is still not well understood. Here in a simpler model system, w

SUBMITTER: Regan JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3812043 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature