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Drosophila melanogaster Thor and response to Candida albicans infection.

Levitin A, Marcil A, Tettweiler G, Laforest MJ, Oberholzer U, Alarco AM, Thomas DY, Lasko P, Whiteway M

Genetics Group, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council, Montreal, Quebec H4P 2R2, Canada. anastasia.levitin@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca

We used Drosophila melanogaster macrophage-like Schneider 2 (S2) cells as a model to study cell-mediated innate immunity against infection by the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Transcriptional profiling of S2 cells coincubated with C. albicans cells revealed up-regulation of several genes. One of the most highly up-regulated genes during this interaction is the D. melanogaster translational regulator 4E-BP encoded by the Thor gene. Analysis of Drosophila 4E-BP(null) mutant survival upon infection with C. albicans showed that 4E-BP plays an important role in host defense, suggesting a role for translational control in the D. melanogaster response to C. albicans infection.

Published 10 April 2007 in Eukaryot Cell, 6(4): 658-63.
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