The Drosophila melanogaster host model

Figures & data

Figure 1.  Drosophila signaling pathways that regulate humoral responses. The Toll pathway regulates the expression of genes in response to the detection of Gram-positive type PPG or fungal β-1-3-glucans or activation by some fungal and bacterial proteases. The Imd pathway regulates the expression of genes in response to the detection of Gram-negative type PPG. The JAK/STAT pathway regulates the expression of genes in response to Upd3 signaling by plasmatocytes. Mammalian homologs of pathway components are shown in blue. Negative regulators of the pathways are not shown.

Table 1. Human bacterial pathogen genes that are involved in the infection of Drosophila

Pathogen	Drosophila model (mode of infection)†	Pathogen genes involved in infection		References
		Promote infection	Inhibit infection
Bacillus anthracis	Adult (TE)	lef (lethal factor), cya (edema factor)		263
Bordetella pertussis	Adult (TE)	ptx (pertussis toxin)		266
Burkholderia cenocepacia	Adult (SI)	BCAL2831 (Two component regulatory system component)	cepR (Two component regulatory system component)	267
		bscN (Type III secretion system ATP-binding protein)
		cepI (Two component regulatory system component)
		hldA (LPS biosynthesis)
		htrA (stress response protease)
		zmpA (zinc metalloprotease)
		zmpB (zinc metalloprotease)
Francisella novicida	Adult (SI)	FTN_0649 (FAD-dependent 4Fe-4S ferrodoxin)		268*
		FTN_0869 (putative transglutaminase)
		FTN_0889 (putative transcriptional regulator)
		glpD (anaerobic glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase)
		nadC (nicotinate-nucleotide pyrophosphorylase)
		OxyR (oxidative stress transcriptional regulator)
		pmrA response regulator
		udp (uridine phosphorylase)
		uvrA, uvrB, recB, ssb, mutM, ruvC (DNA repair)
		DNA repair: 9
		Protein repair: 1
		Transporter: 3
		Other: 43
	Adult (SI)	FPI genes: 14	FTN_0119	271*
		Other: 29	pilA, pilB, pilM, fimT (Type IV pilus)
			pckA ( Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase)
	Adult (SI)	iglB, iglD (FPI proteins)		269
		mglA (Virulence gene transcriptional regulator)
	Adult (SI)	Cell division: 1		58*
		DNA modification: 9
		FPI: 3
		Hypothetical: 24
		Intergenic: 5
		Metabolic: 41
		Other: 13
		Transcription/translation: 2
		Transferases: 8
		Transport: 28
		Type IV Pili: 1
		Unknown: 33
Francisella tularensis (LVS)	Adult (SI)	iglB, iglC, iglD (FPI proteins)		170
		mglA (Virulence gene transcriptional regulator)
Klebsiella pneumoniae	Adult (SI)	TrpC (tryptophan biosynthesis)		246
		WaaQ (capsule and LPS biosynthesis)
Listeria monocytogenes	Adult (SI)	actA (Actin polymerization)		277
		hly (Listeriolysin, hemolysin)
Photorhabdus asymbiotica	Embryos (SI)	mcf1 (toxin)		238
Porphyromonas gingivalis	Adult (SI)	capsular polysaccharide locus		63
		fimA (fimbriae)
		kgp (lysine specific protease)
		mfa (minor fimbriae)
		rgpA rgpB (arginine specific proteases)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa	Adult (SI)	kerV (hypothetical methyltransferase)		241
	Adult (SI)	nrdD, nrdJ (Ribonucleotide reductases)		301
	Adult (F)	lasl;rhll (Quorum sensing proteins)	qteE (Quorum sensing regulator)	302
	Adult (SI)	toxA (Exotoxin A)		122
	Adult (SI)	iscR (Transcriptional regulator)		303
	Adult (SI)	katA (Catalase A)		303–305
	Adult (SI)	hcnC (Cyanide)		279
	Adult (F)	exoS (Exotoxin)		274
	Adult (SI)	OxyR (Oxidative stress transcriptional activator)		306
	Adult (F)	relA (Nucleotide synthesis, stringent response)		307
	Adult (F)	relA;spoT (Nucleotide synthesis, stringent response)		308
	Adult (SI)	chpA, fimV, orf406, pilGHI, pilJ, pilK, pilL, orf2982 (Twitching motility)		309
	Adult (SI)	dsbA (Disulfide isomerase)		8, 122, 240
	Adult (F)		qscR	5
	Adult (SI)	muxA (efflux pump)		310
		pilA (Type IV pilus)
	Adult (SI)	exsA (Transcription activator, Type III secretory system)		8
		exsD (Type III secretory apparatus component)
		pilV (Type IV pili, twitching motility)
	Adult (SI)	33C7, 44B1 (Unknown)		122
		gacA, mvfR (Two component regulatory system regulators, quorum sensing)
		mtrR, pstP (Transcriptional activators)
		phzB (Phenazine biosynthesis)
		plcS (Phospholipase C)
		pqsB (Hydroxy-alkylquinoline synthesis, quorum sensing)
	Adult (SI)	PA3001 (Oxidoreductase)		311
		PA4489, PA5441 (Hypothetical, unknown function)
		pgk (Phosphoglycerate kinase)
		pgm (Phosphoglycerate mutase)
		pilI, cca (Twitching motility)
		pyrF (Orotidine decarboxylase)
	Adult (SI)	fabF1 (Beta-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase II)		240
		flhB (Flagellar biosynthesis)
		opdO (Outer membrane porin)
		PA0272, prpR, hudR (transcription factors)
		PA0369, PA2077 (Hypotherical proteins)
		PA14_35740 (Transposase)
		PA2002 (Fatty acid transporter)
		pilF (Type IV pilus assembly protein)
		pvdI (Peptide synthesis)
		wspF (Methyl esterase)
Pseudomonas fluorescens	larvae (F)	A4589 (Unknown function)		3
		gmd (LPS biosynthesis)
		gacA (Two component regulatory system protein)		239
Salmonella typhimurium	Adult (SI)	orgA (Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 component)		1
		phoP (two component regulatory system sensor)
		slrP (type III secretion effector)
		spiC, sseA, sseB, sseC, sseD (SPI2 translocation machinery)
		ssrA (Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 component)
Serratia marcescens	Adult (SI)	wzm (LPS biosynthesis, O antigen)		312
Streptococcus agalactiae	Adult (SI)	bca (alpha C protein, adhesin)		247
		clyE (cytolisin)
		cpsE (capsular polysaccharide)
		dltA (D-alanyl-lipoteichoic acid)
Staphylococcus aureus	Adult (SI)	perR (Transcription regulator, oxidative stress and iron storage)		254
		pheP (Amino acid permease)
	Adult (SI)	atl (amidase–glucosaminidase, peptidoglycan degradation)		245
		dltA (D-alanine ligase)
		mprF (lysylphosphatidylglycerol synthesis)
		SA0614 (Two component regulatory system component)
		SA0615 (Two component regulatory system component)
		ypfP (Glycolipid synthesis)
	Adult (SI)		itaS (lipoteichoic acid synthesis)	121
Vibrio cholera	Adult (F)	ctxB (Cholera toxin)		241
		kerV (hypothetical methyltransferase)		241, 252
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis	Adult (F)	kerV (hypothetical methyltransferase)		241

*Studies where genome-wide screens were performed, and resulted in the identification of >20 genes. Genes that were further characterized are listed. If genes were functionally or otherwise classified, and the number of genes in each group was reported, we included the numbers in this table.

†SI: septic injury, TE: transgenic expression (of pathogen virulence factors), F: feeding, R: rolling (in spores)

Abbreviations: LPS: lipopolysaccharide FPI: Francisella pathogenicity island LVS: Live vaccine strain

Figure 2.  Survival curves of adult, female Drosophila infected with P. gingivalis and other bacterial species. E. coli DH5α (pink curve), P. aeruginosa strain PA01 (blue curve), P. gingivalis strain W83 (red curve), and vehicular control (yellow curve) 63.

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