Over the last ten years, the highly efficient anti-microbial response of the fruit fly Drosophila has evolved as one of the most powerful biological models to study innate immunity. A hallmark of this response is the challenge-induced expression of potent anti-microbial peptides that counter invading microorganisms. The identity of these molecules has now been established and two signaling pathways leading to their immune-controlled expression have been identified and worked out in significant detail. The last frontier in our understanding of this pristine host defense is the recognition of infectious microorganisms and the molecular mechanisms that link this recognition to activation of the pathways that ultimately lead to expression of the immune response genes. Several families of proteins have been identified recently which may serve as recognition proteins, namely the PGRPs (Peptidoglycan Recognition Proteins), GNBPs (Gram-Negative Binding Proteins) and some of the Thioester Containing Proteins (TEPs).
The Aim of the Project is to combine methods of molecular genetics, biochemistry, structural biology and cell biology to elucidate the precise mechanisms by which these recognition proteins and others which remain to be identified, sense microbial patterns and how this interaction translates into activation of intracellular signaling in immune-responsive cells. This Project is crucially dependent on close interactions-both conceptual and methodological- with our partners working on the same central questions in mosquitoes (the Kafatos Laboratory Project 4) and mammals (the Ezekowitz Laboratory, Project 1). Indeed, some of the proposal Aims can only be addressed in collaboration between our groups and through complementing our respective expertise and facilities.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Program Projects (P01)
Project #
5P01AI044220-08
Application #
7269429
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAI1)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2006-07-01
Budget End
2007-06-30
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$302,320
Indirect Cost
Name
Massachusetts General Hospital
Department
Type
DUNS #
073130411
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02199
Gendrin, Mathilde; Turlure, Fanny; Rodgers, Faye H et al. (2017) The Peptidoglycan Recognition Proteins PGRPLA and PGRPLB Regulate Anopheles Immunity to Bacteria and Affect Infection by Plasmodium. J Innate Immun 9:333-342
Lombardo, Fabrizio; Christophides, George K (2016) Novel factors of Anopheles gambiae haemocyte immune response to Plasmodium berghei infection. Parasit Vectors 9:78
Lombardo, Fabrizio; Ghani, Yasmeen; Kafatos, Fotis C et al. (2013) Comprehensive genetic dissection of the hemocyte immune response in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. PLoS Pathog 9:e1003145
Cezairliyan, Brent; Vinayavekhin, Nawaporn; Grenfell-Lee, Daniel et al. (2013) Identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phenazines that kill Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Pathog 9:e1003101
Feinbaum, Rhonda L; Urbach, Jonathan M; Liberati, Nicole T et al. (2012) Genome-wide identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence-related genes using a Caenorhabditis elegans infection model. PLoS Pathog 8:e1002813
Chung, Yoon-Suk Alexander; Kocks, Christine (2012) Phagocytosis of bacterial pathogens. Fly (Austin) 6:21-5
Whiteman, Noah K; Gloss, Andrew D; Sackton, Timothy B et al. (2012) Genes involved in the evolution of herbivory by a leaf-mining, Drosophilid fly. Genome Biol Evol 4:900-16
Pukkila-Worley, Read; Ausubel, Frederick M (2012) Immune defense mechanisms in the Caenorhabditis elegans intestinal epithelium. Curr Opin Immunol 24:3-9
Chung, Yoon-Suk Alexander; Kocks, Christine (2011) Recognition of pathogenic microbes by the Drosophila phagocytic pattern recognition receptor Eater. J Biol Chem 286:26524-32
Limmer, Stefanie; Haller, Samantha; Drenkard, Eliana et al. (2011) Pseudomonas aeruginosa RhlR is required to neutralize the cellular immune response in a Drosophila melanogaster oral infection model. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 108:17378-83

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