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Phosphoinositide binding by the Toll adaptor dMyD88 controls antibacterial responses in Drosophila

Lorri R Marek1, Jonathan C Kagan

  • 1Division of Gasteroenterology, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Immunity
|April 3, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Drosophila Toll signaling relies on the adaptor protein dMyD88

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Immunology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Innate immune responses in Drosophila are not well understood.
  • Toll signaling is crucial for Drosophila immunity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the cell biological principles governing Drosophila innate immunity.
  • To investigate the role of the adaptor protein dMyD88 in Toll signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Subcellular localization studies of dMyD88.
  • In vivo analysis of dMyD88 function.
  • Investigating phosphoinositide-binding domain activity.

Main Results:

  • dMyD88 localization to the plasma membrane is essential for Toll signaling.
  • A C-terminal phosphoinositide-binding domain mediates dMyD88 membrane localization.
  • Lipid binding by dMyD88 is critical for antimicrobial and developmental functions.
  • dMyD88 recruits the downstream adaptor Tube to the cell surface.

Conclusions:

  • dMyD88 acts as a sorting adaptor in Drosophila Toll signaling.
  • dMyD88 is functionally homologous to mammalian TIRAP.
  • This study reveals key cell biological mechanisms of innate immunity in Drosophila.

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