Immune-metabolic interaction in Drosophila

Immune responses and metabolic regulation are tightly coupled in all animals, but the underlying mechanistic connections are nowhere completely clear. In flies and in humans, prolonged or excessive immune activation can drive metabolic disruption and cause loss of metabolic stores. Conversely, disruptions of metabolic homeostasis, such as periods of malnutrition, can have significant impacts on immune function. We have recently identified the transcription factor MEF2 as a critical switch between anabolic and immune function in the adult Drosophila fat body. A conserved phosphorylation determines the affinity of MEF2 for the TATA-binding protein, effecting a choice between energy storage and immune function. The goal of this review is to place this molecular event in the broader context of metabolic-immune interaction in Drosophila, exploring what is and is not known about the ties between these 2 critical physiological functions.