Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2025
Systemic Bacterial Infection and Immune Defense Phenotypes in Drosophila Melanogaster
Published on: May 13, 2015
Drosophila melanogaster as a Rapid and Reliable In Vivo Infection Model to Study the Emerging Yeast Pathogen Candida
Sebastian Wurster1, Nathaniel D Albert2, Dimitrios P Kontoyiannis2
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. stwurster@mdanderson.org.
Abstract:
While mammalian models remain the gold standard to study invasive mycoses, mini-host invertebrate models have provided complementary platforms for explorative investigations of fungal pathogenesis, host-pathogen interplay, and antifungal therapy. Specifically, our group has established Toll-deficient Drosophila melanogaster flies as a facile and cost-effective model organism to study candidiasis, and we have recently expanded these studies to the emerging and frequently multidrug-resistant yeast pathogen Candida auris. Our proof-of-concept data suggest that fruit flies could hold a great promise for large-scale applications in antifungal drug discovery and the screening of C. auris (mutant) libraries with disparate pathogenic capacity. This chapter discusses the advantages and limitations of D. melanogaster to study C. auris candidiasis and provides a step-by-step guide for establishing and troubleshooting C. auris infection and antifungal treatment of Toll-deficient flies along with essential downstream readouts.
Insights
Fruit flies offer a cost-effective model for studying Candida auris infections and discovering new antifungal drugs. This research details using Toll-deficient Drosophila melanogaster to investigate candidiasis and screen drug libraries.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
- Genetics
Background:
- Mammalian models are standard for invasive mycoses, but invertebrate models offer complementary research platforms.
- Toll-deficient Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) have been established as a model for studying candidiasis.
- Research has expanded to include the multidrug-resistant yeast, Candida auris.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of fruit flies as a model for Candida auris infections.
- To explore the potential of fruit flies in antifungal drug discovery and screening.
- To provide a guide for establishing and troubleshooting C. auris infections in fruit flies.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing Toll-deficient Drosophila melanogaster as a host model.
- Establishing protocols for C. auris infection and antifungal treatment in flies.
- Developing downstream readouts for assessing infection and treatment efficacy.
Main Results:
- Proof-of-concept data suggest fruit flies are promising for antifungal drug discovery.
- Fruit flies can be used for screening C. auris mutant libraries.
- The study provides a practical guide for using fruit flies to study C. auris.
Conclusions:
- Drosophila melanogaster is a valuable, cost-effective model for studying C. auris candidiasis.
- Fruit flies facilitate large-scale antifungal drug discovery and pathogen screening.
- The established protocols aid in research on C. auris pathogenesis and treatment.
