US-France Cooperative Research: Genetic Aspects of Insect Immunity and Parasite Resistance

该奖项将支持芝加哥洛约拉大学的Anthony J.Nappi博士和法国Gif-Sur-Yvette的Ives Carton博士之间的合作研究。研究人员将研究：1)细胞和体液儿茶酚胺代谢酶在基因定义明确的酶突变体的黑色素包裹反应中的作用；(2)不同地理物种和田间采集宿主菌株的免疫反应；(3)不同地理物种和品系寄生虫的抗性机制。为了确定形成黑色素胶囊的交联剂的生物合成途径，将对果蝇幼虫产生的免疫反应进行细胞学和生化研究。苍蝇和黄蜂的线条，用于剖析抗性机制。

This award will support collaborative research between Dr. Anthony J. Nappi, Loyola University of Chicago and Dr. Yves Carton, Laboratoire de Biologie et Genetique Evolutives, Gif-sur-Yvette, France. The objective of this project is to elucidate the genetic basis of immune recognition/regulation and parasite resistance in insects. The investigators will study: 1) the role of cellular and humoral catecholamine metabolizing enzymes during melanotic encapsulation responses in genetically well-defined enzyme mutants, (2) the immune response of different geographical species and strains of filed collected hosts, and (3) the mechanisms of resistance by different geographic species and strains of parasites. In order to ascertain the biosynthetic pathways employed in the production of the cross-linking agents that form melanotic capsules, cytological and biochemical studies will be performed of the immune responses generated in larvae of Drosophila __________ melanogaster, a host for the wasp parasitoids Leptopilina ____________ ___________ heterotoma and L. boulardi. __________ _ ________ This project will combine Dr. Nappi's expertise in enzyme assays with the availability in the French laboratory of specific genetic lines of fly and wasp for the dissection of resistance mechanisms. The results of this research will contribute to the understanding of: 1) coevolutionary relationships between parasite and host, and 2) efficiency of use of parasites in the biological control of insect pests.