The Genetic Basis of Natural Variation in Drosophila melanogaster Immune Defense against Enterococcus faecalis.

ABSTRACT: Dissecting the genetic basis of natural variation in disease response in hosts provides insights into the coevolutionary dynamics of host-pathogen interactions. Here, a genome-wide association study of Drosophila melanogaster survival after infection with the Gram-positive entomopathogenic bacterium Enterococcus faecalis is reported. There was considerable variation in defense against E. faecalis infection among inbred lines of the Drosophila Genetics Reference Panel. We identified single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with six genes with a significant (p < 10-08, corresponding to a false discovery rate of 2.4%) association with survival, none of which were canonical immune genes. To validate the role of these genes in immune defense, their expression was knocked-down using RNAi and s

SUBMITTER: Chapman JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7074548 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature