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Genetics Feb 2019In this FlyBook chapter, we present a survey of the current literature on the development of the hematopoietic system in The blood system consists entirely of cells... (Review)
Review
In this FlyBook chapter, we present a survey of the current literature on the development of the hematopoietic system in The blood system consists entirely of cells that function in innate immunity, tissue integrity, wound healing, and various forms of stress response, and are therefore functionally similar to myeloid cells in mammals. The primary cell types are specialized for phagocytic, melanization, and encapsulation functions. As in mammalian systems, multiple sites of hematopoiesis are evident in and the mechanisms involved in this process employ many of the same molecular strategies that exemplify blood development in humans. blood progenitors respond to internal and external stress by coopting developmental pathways that involve both local and systemic signals. An important goal of these studies is to develop the tools and mechanisms critical to further our understanding of human hematopoiesis during homeostasis and dysfunction.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila; Hematopoiesis; Hemocytes; Stress, Physiological
PubMed: 30733377
DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.300223 -
Genetics Oct 2018The gastrointestinal tract has recently come to the forefront of multiple research fields. It is now recognized as a major source of signals modulating food intake,... (Review)
Review
The gastrointestinal tract has recently come to the forefront of multiple research fields. It is now recognized as a major source of signals modulating food intake, insulin secretion and energy balance. It is also a key player in immunity and, through its interaction with microbiota, can shape our physiology and behavior in complex and sometimes unexpected ways. The insect intestine had remained, by comparison, relatively unexplored until the identification of adult somatic stem cells in the intestine over a decade ago. Since then, a growing scientific community has exploited the genetic amenability of this insect organ in powerful and creative ways. By doing so, we have shed light on a broad range of biological questions revolving around stem cells and their niches, interorgan signaling and immunity. Despite their relatively recent discovery, some of the mechanisms active in the intestine of flies have already been shown to be more widely applicable to other gastrointestinal systems, and may therefore become relevant in the context of human pathologies such as gastrointestinal cancers, aging, or obesity. This review summarizes our current knowledge of both the formation and function of the digestive tract, with a major focus on its main digestive/absorptive portion: the strikingly adaptable adult midgut.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila melanogaster; Gastrointestinal Tract; Morphogenesis
PubMed: 30287514
DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.300224 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2022The innate immune response provides the first line of defense against invading pathogens, and immune disorders cause a variety of diseases. The fruit fly employs... (Review)
Review
The innate immune response provides the first line of defense against invading pathogens, and immune disorders cause a variety of diseases. The fruit fly employs multiple innate immune reactions to resist infection. First, epithelial tissues function as physical barriers to prevent pathogen invasion. In addition, macrophage-like plasmatocytes eliminate intruders through phagocytosis, and lamellocytes encapsulate large particles, such as wasp eggs, that cannot be phagocytosed. Regarding humoral immune responses, the fat body, equivalent to the mammalian liver, secretes antimicrobial peptides into hemolymph, killing bacteria and fungi. has been shown to be a powerful model for studying the mechanism of innate immunity and host-pathogen interactions because and higher organisms share conserved signaling pathways and factors. Moreover, the ease with which genetic and physiological characteristics can be manipulated prevents interference by adaptive immunity. In this review, we discuss the signaling pathways activated in innate immunity, namely, the Toll, Imd, JNK, JAK/STAT pathways, and other factors, as well as relevant regulatory networks. We also review the mechanisms by which different tissues, including hemocytes, the fat body, the lymph gland, muscles, the gut and the brain coordinate innate immune responses. Furthermore, the latest studies in this field are outlined in this review. In summary, understanding the mechanism underlying innate immunity orchestration in will help us better study human innate immunity-related diseases.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster; Hemocytes; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Mammals; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 35911716
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.905370 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Jun 2023Aging is characterized by a decline in tissue function, but the underlying changes at cellular resolution across the organism remain unclear. Here, we present the Aging...
Aging is characterized by a decline in tissue function, but the underlying changes at cellular resolution across the organism remain unclear. Here, we present the Aging Fly Cell Atlas, a single-nucleus transcriptomic map of the whole aging . We characterized 163 distinct cell types and performed an in-depth analysis of changes in tissue cell composition, gene expression, and cell identities. We further developed aging clock models to predict fly age and show that ribosomal gene expression is a conserved predictive factor for age. Combining all aging features, we find distinctive cell type-specific aging patterns. This atlas provides a valuable resource for studying fundamental principles of aging in complex organisms.
Topics: Animals; Aging; Cellular Senescence; Gene Expression Profiling; Transcriptome; Drosophila melanogaster; Atlases as Topic
PubMed: 37319212
DOI: 10.1126/science.adg0934 -
ELife Oct 2023Individual species of bacteria and yeast present in the food of wild fruit flies work together to provide the nutrients needed for larval growth.
Individual species of bacteria and yeast present in the food of wild fruit flies work together to provide the nutrients needed for larval growth.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila melanogaster; Microbiota; Drosophila; Nutrients
PubMed: 37819270
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.92482 -
Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.) Feb 2019Our understanding of alcohol use disorder (AUD), particularly alcohol's effects on the nervous system, has unquestionably benefited from the use of model systems such as... (Review)
Review
Our understanding of alcohol use disorder (AUD), particularly alcohol's effects on the nervous system, has unquestionably benefited from the use of model systems such as Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we briefly introduce the use of flies in alcohol research, and highlight the genetic accessibility and neurobiological contribution that flies have made to our understanding of AUD. Future fly research offers unique opportunities for addressing unresolved questions in the alcohol field, such as the neuromolecular and circuit basis for cravings and alcohol-induced neuroimmune dysfunction. This review strongly advocates for interdisciplinary approaches and translational collaborations with the united goal of confronting the major health problems associated with alcohol abuse and addiction.
Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Drosophila melanogaster; Genome-Wide Association Study
PubMed: 29980341
DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.03.004 -
ELife May 2020The origins of the posterior lobe, a recently evolved structure in some species of , have become clearer.
The origins of the posterior lobe, a recently evolved structure in some species of , have become clearer.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster; Extracellular Matrix
PubMed: 32463359
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.57668 -
ELife Sep 2023Experiments on female fruit flies reveal more about the molecular mechanisms involved as germline stem cells transition to become egg cells.
Experiments on female fruit flies reveal more about the molecular mechanisms involved as germline stem cells transition to become egg cells.
Topics: Animals; Female; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila Proteins; Drosophila; Germ Cells; Stem Cells
PubMed: 37772961
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.91998 -
Cells Feb 2023Cancer metastasis, the process by which tumour cells spread throughout the body and form secondary tumours at distant sites, is the leading cause of cancer-related... (Review)
Review
Cancer metastasis, the process by which tumour cells spread throughout the body and form secondary tumours at distant sites, is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The metastatic cascade is a highly complex process encompassing initial dissemination from the primary tumour, travel through the blood stream or lymphatic system, and the colonisation of distant organs. However, the factors enabling cells to survive this stressful process and adapt to new microenvironments are not fully characterised. Drosophila have proven a powerful system in which to study this process, despite important caveats such as their open circulatory system and lack of adaptive immune system. Historically, larvae have been used to model cancer due to the presence of pools of proliferating cells in which tumours can be induced, and transplanting these larval tumours into adult hosts has enabled tumour growth to be monitored over longer periods. More recently, thanks largely to the discovery that there are stem cells in the adult midgut, adult models have been developed. We focus this review on the development of different Drosophila models of metastasis and how they have contributed to our understanding of important factors determining metastatic potential, including signalling pathways, the immune system and the microenvironment.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila melanogaster; Neoplasms; Stem Cells; Signal Transduction; Drosophila; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 36899813
DOI: 10.3390/cells12050677 -
Immunological Reviews Oct 2023The clearance of dead and dying cells, termed efferocytosis, is a rapid and efficient process and one that is critical for organismal health. The extraordinary speed and... (Review)
Review
The clearance of dead and dying cells, termed efferocytosis, is a rapid and efficient process and one that is critical for organismal health. The extraordinary speed and efficiency with which dead cells are detected and engulfed by immune cells within tissues presents a challenge to researchers who wish to unravel this fascinating process, since these fleeting moments of uptake are almost impossible to catch in vivo. In recent years, the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) embryo has emerged as a powerful model to circumvent this problem. With its abundance of dying cells, specialist phagocytes and relative ease of live imaging, the humble fly embryo provides a unique opportunity to catch and study the moment of cell engulfment in real-time within a living animal. In this review, we explore the recent advances that have come from studies in the fly, and how live imaging and genetics have revealed a previously unappreciated level of diversity in the efferocytic program. A variety of efferocytic strategies across the phagocytic cell population ensure efficient and rapid clearance of corpses wherever death is encountered within the varied and complex setting of a multicellular living organism.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Drosophila melanogaster; Apoptosis; Phagocytosis; Phagocytes; Drosophila
PubMed: 37589239
DOI: 10.1111/imr.13266