REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES AND DROSOPHILA IMMUNITY

描述(摘自申请者的摘要)：一些折磨人类和其他动物的最令人衰弱的疾病要么是由昆虫引起的，要么是由昆虫传播的。昆虫寄主-寄生关系正在整合相当复杂的适应。昆虫用来识别外来生物和对抗这些感染的机制(S)知之甚少。这项拟议研究的长期目标是识别昆虫血细胞(血细胞)在免疫攻击过程中产生的细胞毒性分子，并阐明这些物质专门针对和摧毁入侵宿主体腔的生物的机制。这项研究的重点是血细胞NADPH氧化酶和诱导型一氧化氮合酶(INOS)的参与，因为这些酶不仅对激活的血细胞产生细胞毒性活性氧物种是必不可少的，而且对于成功的宿主包裹反应所需的细胞内和细胞间的协同信号也是必不可少的。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the Applicant's Abstract): Some of the most debilitating diseases afflicting humans and other animals are either caused by insects or are vectored by them. Insect host- parasite relationships are integrating adaptations of considerable complexity. Little is known about the mechanism(s) insects use to recognize foreignness and to combat these infections. The long term goals of the proposed research are to identify the cytotoxic molecules produced by insect blood cells (hemocytes) during immune challenge, and to clarify the mechanisms by which these substances specifically target and destroy organisms that have invaded the body cavity of the host. The major focus of the proposed study concerns the involvement of hemocyte NADPH oxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), since these enzymes are essential not only for the generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species by activated hemocytes, but also for intracellular and collaborative cell-cell signaling required for successful host encapsulation responses.