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Does cold activate the Drosophila melanogaster immune system?

Golnaz Salehipour-Shirazi1, Laura V Ferguson1, Brent J Sinclair1

  • 1Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada.

Journal of Insect Physiology
|November 5, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Cold exposure up-regulates some insect immune responses, but may decrease pathogen clearance. This suggests cold-activated immunity in Drosophila may compensate for low temperatures, maintaining overall immune function.

Keywords:
Cross-talkDamageImmune systemThermal biologyTrade-off

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Area of Science:

  • Insect immunology
  • Environmental stress response
  • Drosophila melanogaster research

Background:

  • Cold exposure's impact on insect immunity is not fully understood.
  • Insect survival at low temperatures is influenced by pathogen interactions.
  • Investigating cold-induced immune activation is crucial for understanding insect resilience.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine which insect immune components are activated by cold.
  • To assess if different types of cold exposure elicit varied immune responses.
  • To explore the functional significance of cold-immune interactions in Drosophila.

Main Methods:

  • Exposing Drosophila melanogaster to acute (-2°C for 2h) and sustained (-0.5°C for 10h) cold.
  • Measuring potential immunity (antimicrobial peptide expression, phenoloxidase activity, haemocyte counts) post-recovery.
  • Assessing realised immunity (survival of fungal infection, wound-induced melanisation, bacterial clearance).

Main Results:

  • Acute cold increased haemocyte counts and expression of Turandot-A and diptericin.
  • Sustained cold elevated Turandot-A expression but did not affect other immunity measures.
  • Potential immunity measures were up-regulated by cold, while realised immunity was unchanged or reduced.

Conclusions:

  • Cold exposure differentially affects potential and realised immunity in Drosophila.
  • Up-regulation of potential immunity by cold may serve as a compensatory mechanism.
  • This compensatory response could help maintain stable immune function during or after cold stress.