Polyunsaturated fatty acids stimulate immunity and eicosanoid production in Drosophila melanogaster.

Eicosanoids are a class of molecules derived from C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that play a vital role in mammalian and insect biological systems, including development, reproduction, and immunity. Recent research has shown that insects have significant but lower levels of C20 PUFAs in circulation in comparison to C18 PUFAs. It has been previously hypothesized in insects that eicosanoids are synthesized from C18 precursors, such as linoleic acid (LA), to produce downstream eicosanoids.

Parasitic nematode secreted phospholipase A suppresses cellular and humoral immunity by targeting hemocytes in .

A key aspect of parasitic nematode infection is the nematodes' ability to evade and/or suppress host immunity. This immunomodulatory ability is likely driven by the release of hundreds of excretory/secretory proteins (ESPs) during infection. While ESPs have been shown to display immunosuppressive effects on various hosts, our understanding of the molecular interactions between individual proteins released and host immunity requires further study.

REVIEW OF THE ROLE OF PARASITIC NEMATODE EXCRETORY/SECRETORY PROTEINS IN HOST IMMUNOMODULATION.

Parasitic nematodes infect a variety of organisms including insects and vertebrates. To survive, they evade host immune responses to cause morbidity and mortality. Despite the vast clinical knowledge regarding nematode infections and their biological makeup, molecular understanding of the interactions between host and parasite remains poorly understood.