Effect of Drosophila C virus infection on the gene expression of Drosophila immune signaling pathway

Abstract

Objective To study the gene expression of innate immune signaling pathway in Drosophila melanogaster under the stimulation of Drosophila C virus(DCV). Methods Fruit flies that emerged for 5-7 days were divided into two groups.One group was infected with DCV, and the other group was injected with phosphate buffered saline(PBS). After 24 hours, the total RNA of Drosophila was extracted and reverse transcribed.Use real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR to analyze the expression of innate immune genes in Drosophila melanogaster. Results After the infection of DCV, the expression of DmDrosomycin gene was significantly higher than the control group for the Toll signaling pathway(P=0.0286). For the immune deficiency(IMD)signaling pathway, the expression of DmDpt(P=0.0079)and DmATT(P=0.002)genes was significantly higher than that in the control group.For the JAK-STAT signal pathway, the expression of DmVago gene was significantly higher than that in the control group(P=0.007). For the complement-like signaling pathway, the expression of DmTEP5 gene was significantly higher than that in the control group(P=0.0079). Conclusion The infection of DCV stimulates the Toll, IMD, JAK-STAT, and complement-like signaling pathways of the innate immune system of Drosophila. Key words: Drosophila C virus; Drosophila melanogaster; Innate immune gene; Immune signaling pathway