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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Assaying Blood Cell Populations of the Drosophila melanogaster Larva
Published on: November 11, 2015
Cytokines in Drosophila hematopoiesis and cellular immunity
1Department of Biology J526, City College, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 138th Street and Convent Avenue, New York, New York 10031, USA.
Abstract:
Hematopoiesis is a complex, multistep process in which progenitor cells undergo distinct cellular changes of proliferation and differentiation to give rise to mature blood cells in circulation. Many of the genetic and molecular events that drive these changes have been characterized in mammals, frogs, and zebra fish, and more recently in the insect model system Drosophila melanogaster. Blood cells in Drosophila are actively involved in fighting infections and the cellular immune responses are intimately tied to the process of hematopoiesis. In this article, we briefly review the fundamental similarities in Drosophila and mammalian hematopoiesis and highlight the potential roles of four cytokines/growth factors in Drosophila hematopoiesis and cellular immunity.
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