Drosophila cellular immunity against parasitoids

Insect host-parasite interrelations involve co-adaptations of considerable complexity. Against endoparasites, immune competent insect hosts initiate a hemocyte-mediated response that quickly destroys the intruders and envelops them in multilayered, melanotic capsules. In this review, Yves Carton and Anthony Nappi focus on recent studies of the cytological, biochemical and genetic mechanisms involved in the cellular immune response of Drosophila against wasp parasitoids.