Recognition of commensal bacterial peptidoglycans defines Drosophila gut homeostasis and lifespan.

Commensal microbes in animals have a profound impact on tissue homeostasis, stress resistance, and ageing. We previously showed in Drosophila melanogaster that Acetobacter persici is a member of the gut microbiota that promotes ageing and shortens fly lifespan. However, the molecular mechanism by which this specific bacterial species changes lifespan and physiology remains unclear.

as an Animal Model for Testing Plant-Based Immunomodulators.

Allopathic medicines play a key role in the prevention and treatment of diseases. However, long-term consumption of these medicines may cause serious undesirable effects that harm human health. Plant-based medicines have emerged as alternatives to allopathic medicines because of their rare side effects.

Skin microbiome profile of healthy Cameroonians and Japanese.

The commensal microbes of the skin have a significant impact on dermal physiology and pathophysiology. Racial and geographical differences in the skin microbiome are suggested and may play a role in the sensitivity to dermatological disorders, including infectious diseases. However, little is known about the skin microbiome profiles of people living in Central Africa, where severe tropical infectious diseases impose a burden on the inhabitants.

cGMP signaling pathway that modulates NF-κB activation in innate immune responses.

The nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that plays a central role in immune responses and inflammation. Here, we show that NF-κB signaling is activated via a pathway in parallel with the Toll receptor by receptor-type guanylate cyclase, Gyc76C. Gyc76C produces cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and modulates NF-κB signaling through the downstream Tollreceptor components dMyd88, Pelle, Tube, and Dif/Dorsal (NF-κB).

Molecular modeling and phenoloxidase inhibitory activity of arbutin and arbutin undecylenic acid ester.

Excessive melanin formation has been linked to various skin disorders such as hyperpigmentation and skin cancer. Tyrosinase is the most prominent target for inhibitors of melanin production. In this study, we investigated whether arbutin and its prodrug, arbutin undecylenic acid ester, might inhibit phenoloxidase (PO), a tyrosinase-like enzyme.

Neuronal octopamine signaling regulates mating-induced germline stem cell increase in female .

Stem cells fuel the development and maintenance of tissues. Many studies have addressed how local signals from neighboring niche cells regulate stem cell identity and their proliferative potential. However, the regulation of stem cells by tissue-extrinsic signals in response to environmental cues remains poorly understood.

Molecular and Functional Analysis of Pore-Forming Toxin Monalysin From Entomopathogenic Bacterium .

is a highly pathogenic bacterium that infects insects. It is also used as a suitable model pathogen to analyze innate immunity. virulence is largely derived from Monalysin, a β-barrel pore-forming toxin that damages tissues, inducing necrotic cell death.

Synthetic biology based construction of biological activity-related library of fungal decalin-containing diterpenoid pyrones.

A synthetic biology method based on heterologous biosynthesis coupled with genome mining is a promising approach for increasing the opportunities to rationally access natural product with novel structures and biological activities through total biosynthesis and combinatorial biosynthesis. Here, we demonstrate the advantage of the synthetic biology method to explore biological activity-related chemical space through the comprehensive heterologous biosynthesis of fungal decalin-containing diterpenoid pyrones (DDPs). Genome mining reveals putative DDP biosynthetic gene clusters distributed in five fungal genera.

A Receptor Guanylate Cyclase, Gyc76C, Mediates Humoral, and Cellular Responses in Distinct Ways in Immunity.

Innate immunity is an evolutionarily conserved host defense system against infections. The fruit fly relies solely on innate immunity for infection defense, and the conservation of innate immunity makes an ideal model for understanding the principles of innate immunity, which comprises both humoral and cellular responses. The mechanisms underlying the coordination of humoral and cellular responses, however, has remained unclear.

Feasibility of microbial sample collection on the skin from people in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Characterization of microbial communities in the skin in healthy individuals and diseased patients holds valuable information for understanding pathogenesis of skin diseases and as a source for developing novel therapies. Notably, resources regarding skin microbiome are limited in developing countries where skin disorders from infectious diseases are extremely common. A simple method for sample collection and processing for skin microbiome studies in such countries is crucial.

Neurodegenerative disorders and sterile inflammation: lessons from a Drosophila model.

Central nervous system (CNS)-related disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases, are common but difficult to treat. As effective medical interventions are limited, those diseases will likely continue adversely affecting people's health. There is evidence that the hyperactivation of innate immunity is a hallmark of most neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and polyglutamine diseases.

Sterile induction of innate immunity in .

In the past decades, much has been learned about the protective signatures of innate immune responses during the course of infections. However, it is now evident that induction of immune effectors also commonly occurs in the absence of pathogenic cues. Such an event, termed sterile inflammation, has been linked to several debilitating acute and chronic host conditions.

Dual comprehensive approach to decipher the Drosophila Toll pathway, ex vivo RNAi screenings and immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry.

The Drosophila Toll pathway is involved in embryonic development, innate immunity, and cell-cell interactions. However, compared to the mammalian Toll-like receptor innate immune pathway, its intracellular signaling mechanisms are not fully understood. We have previously performed a series of ex vivo genome-wide RNAi screenings to identify genes required for the activation of the Toll pathway.

Unexpected role of the IMD pathway in Drosophila gut defense against Staphylococcus aureus.

In this study, fruit fly of the genus Drosophila is utilized as a suitable model animal to investigate the molecular mechanisms of innate immunity. To combat orally transmitted pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, the Drosophila gut is armed with the peritrophic matrix, which is a physical barrier composed of chitin and glycoproteins: the Duox system that produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn sterilize infected microbes, and the IMD pathway that regulates the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which in turn control ROS-resistant pathogens. However, little is known about the defense mechanisms against Gram-positive bacteria in the fly gut.

Phagocytosis Assay for Apoptotic Cells in Drosophila Embryos.

The molecular mechanisms underlying the phagocytosis of apoptotic cells need to be elucidated in more detail because of its role in immune and inflammatory intractable diseases. We herein developed an experimental method to investigate phagocytosis quantitatively using the fruit fly Drosophila, in which the gene network controlling engulfment reactions is evolutionally conserved from mammals. In order to accurately detect and count engulfing and un-engulfing phagocytes using whole animals, Drosophila embryos were homogenized to obtain dispersed cells including phagocytes and apoptotic cells.

A novel mode of induction of the humoral innate immune response in larvae.

adults have been utilized as a genetically tractable model organism to decipher the molecular mechanisms of humoral innate immune responses. In an effort to promote the utility of larvae as an additional model system, in this study, we describe a novel aspect of an induction mechanism for innate immunity in these larvae. By using a fine tungsten needle created for manipulating semi-conductor devices, larvae were subjected to septic injury.

Ex vivo genome-wide RNAi screening of the Drosophila Toll signaling pathway elicited by a larva-derived tissue extract.

Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), so-called "danger signals," play important roles in host defense and pathophysiology in mammals and insects. In Drosophila, the Toll pathway confers damage responses during bacterial infection and improper cell-fate control. However, the intrinsic ligands and signaling mechanisms that potentiate innate immune responses remain unknown.

The Role of the Phylogenetically Conserved Cochaperone Protein Droj2/DNAJA3 in NF-κB Signaling.

The NF-κB pathway is a phylogenetically conserved signaling pathway with a central role in inflammatory and immune responses. Here we demonstrate that a cochaperone protein, Droj2/DNAJA3, is involved in the activation of canonical NF-κB signaling in flies and in human cultured cells. Overexpression of Droj2 induced the expression of an antimicrobial peptide in Drosophila.

From mouth to anus: Functional and structural relevance of enteric neurons in the Drosophila melanogaster gut.

The intestinal tract is the main organ involved in host nutritional homeostasis. Intestinal function in both vertebrates and invertebrates is partly controlled by enteric neurons that innervate the gut. Though anatomical and functional aspects of enteric neurons are relatively less characterized in Drosophila than in large insects, analyses of the role of the enteric neurons in flies have remarkably progressed in the last few years.