ShK-Domain-Containing Protein from a Parasitic Nematode Modulates Drosophila melanogaster Immunity

A key component to understanding host-parasite interactions is the molecular crosstalk between host and parasite. Excreted/secreted products (ESPs) released by parasitic nematodes play an important role in parasitism. They can directly damage host tissue and modulate host defense. Steinernema carpocapsae, a well-studied parasite of insects releases approximately 500 venom proteins as part of the infection process. Though the identity of these proteins is known, few have been studied in detail. One protein family present in the ESPs released by these nematodes is the ShK family. We studied the most abundant ShK-domain-containing protein in S. carpocapsae ESPs, Sc-ShK-1, to investigate its effects in a fruit fly model. We found that Sc-ShK-1 is toxic under high stress conditions and negatively affects the health of fruit flies. We have shown that Sc-ShK-1 contributes to host immunomodulation in bacterial co-infections resulting in increased mortality and microbial growth. This study provides an insight on ShK-domain-containing proteins from nematodes and suggests these proteins may play an important role in host-parasite interactions.