Treatment of l(2)mbn Drosophila tumorous blood cells with the steroid hormone ecdysone amplifies the inducibility of antimicrobial peptide gene expression

Insects rely on both humoral and cellular mechanisms to defend themselves against microbial infections. The humoral response involves synthesis of a battery of potent antimicrobial peptides by the fat body and, to a lesser extent, by blood cells. The cellular response on the other hand consists of p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Insect biochemistry and molecular biology 1997-10, Vol.27 (10), p.877-886
Main Authors: Dimarcq, Jean-Luc, Imler, Jean-Luc, Lanot, Rene, Alan B. Ezekowitz, R, Hoffmann, Jules A, A. Janeway, Charles, Lagueux, Marie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
antibacterial peptides
antimicrobial peptides
antimicrobial properties
Bacterial Infections - immunology
cell differentiation
cell lines
cell-mediated immunity
diptericin
drosomycin
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster - genetics
Drosophila melanogaster - immunology
Drosophila melanogaster - microbiology
ecdysone
Ecdysone - pharmacology
ecdysterone
Gene Expression
Genes, Insect
hemocytes
Hemocytes - immunology
Hemolymph
humoral immunity
immune response
Immunity, Cellular - genetics
Immunity, Cellular - immunology
induction
insect immunity
lmbn cells
macrophage
Macrophages - immunology
Peptide Biosynthesis - immunology
peptides
phagocytosis
Phagocytosis - physiology
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Summary:Insects rely on both humoral and cellular mechanisms to defend themselves against microbial infections. The humoral response involves synthesis of a battery of potent antimicrobial peptides by the fat body and, to a lesser extent, by blood cells. The cellular response on the other hand consists of phagocytosis of small microorganisms and melanization and encapsulation of larger parasites. The l(2)mbn cell line, established from tumorous larval hemocytes, represents a system of choice to dissect the molecular events controlling cellular immunity. We report here that l(2)mbn cells can be efficiently induced to differentiate in adherent, macrophage-like cells by treatment with 20-hydroxyecdysone. Ecdysone treatment increases both the phagocytic capacity of l(2)mbn cells and their competence to express antimicrobial genes in response to immune challenge. We also report that expression of several regulatory molecules thought to be involved in the immune response is up-regulated by ecdysone in l(2)mbn cells.
ISSN:0965-1748
1879-0240
DOI:10.1016/S0965-1748(97)00072-6