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

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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.