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Sex Differences in Drosophila Sexually Dimorphic Infection Outcome

ABSTRACT: Sexual dimorphism in infection outcomes is a pervasive phenomenon, the underlying mechanisms of which remain incompletely understood. Here, utilizing Pseudomonas entomophila intestinal infection in Drosophila, we demonstrated that sex differences in intestinal redox processes contribute to female bias in susceptibility to gut infection. Female inability to overcome excessive pathogen-induced oxidative stress results in defecation blockage, pathogen persistence, and host death. Male flies exhibit increased carbohydrate metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway activity – a key antioxidant defense system. This allows males to withstand oxidative stress-induced defecation blockage and clear the pathogen from the intestine, resulting in survival. Additionally, P. entomophila showed increased expression of several virulence factors, including RNA-binding protein Hfq, in the female gut, contributing to female-biased virulence of P. entomophila. Thus, the effect of the gut metabolic environment on host defenses and pathogen virulence determines the sex differences in intestinal infection outcomes.

INSTRUMENT(S):

ORGANISM(S): Pseudomonas Entomophila L48 Drosophila Melanogaster (fruit Fly)

TISSUE(S): Intestine

SUBMITTER: Marko Rubinic

LAB HEAD: Igor Iatsenko

PROVIDER: PXD064190 | Pride | 2026-06-10

REPOSITORIES: Pride

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			Action	DRS
	20221213_QEP_KTT_001_50-0116_Igor-Drosophila-tissue-samples_P00_QC-001_dia.raw	Raw
	20221213_QEP_KTT_001_50-0116_Igor-Drosophila-tissue-samples_P00_QC-005_dia.raw	Raw
	20221213_QEP_KTT_004_50-0116_Igor-Drosophila-tissue-samples_P01_Sample-30_dia.raw	Raw
	20221213_QEP_KTT_007_50-0116_Igor-Drosophila-tissue-samples_P01_Sample-02_dia.raw	Raw
	20221213_QEP_KTT_010_50-0116_Igor-Drosophila-tissue-samples_P01_Sample-07_dia.raw	Raw

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Sex Differences in Drosophila Sexually Dimorphic Infection Outcome

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