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Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Drosophila melanogaster Larva Injection Protocol
Published on: October 19, 2021
The emerging role of epigenetic mechanisms in insect defense against pathogens
Krishnendu Mukherjee1, Ulrich Dobrindt1
1Institute of Hygiene, University of Muenster, Mendelstrasse 7, Muenster 48149, Germany.
Abstract:
Insects resist infection by natural selection that favors the survival and reproduction of the fittest phenotypes. Although the genetic mechanisms mediating the evolution of insect resistance have been investigated, little is known about the contribution of epigenetic mechanisms. Gene expression in response to a pathogen selection pressure is regulated by different mechanisms affecting chromatin plasticity. Whether transgenerational inheritance of genome-wide epigenetic marks contributes to the heritable manifestation of insect resistance is presently debated. Here, we review the latest works on the contributions of chromatin remodeling to insect immunity and adaptation to pathogens. We highlight DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and microRNAs in mediating the transgenerational inherited transcriptional reprogramming of defense-related gene expression and the evolution of insect resistance.
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