Encapsulation and Melanization Are Not Correlated to Successful Immune Defense Against Parasitoid Wasps in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>
Parasitoid elimination in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> involves special hemocytes, called lamellocytes, which encapsulate the eggs or larvae of the parasitoid wasps. The capsules are melanized, and metabolites of the melanization reaction may play a potential role in parasitoid killing...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Cells |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/1/46 |
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| Summary: | Parasitoid elimination in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> involves special hemocytes, called lamellocytes, which encapsulate the eggs or larvae of the parasitoid wasps. The capsules are melanized, and metabolites of the melanization reaction may play a potential role in parasitoid killing. We have observed a variation in the melanization capacity of different, commonly used <i>D. melanogaster</i> strains, such as Canton-S, Oregon-R, and BL5905, BL6326. In this work, we aimed to clarify a possible connection between the effectiveness of capsule melanization and the success of parasitoid elimination following infection with <i>Leptopilina</i> parasitoid wasps. Circulating hemocytes and lamellocyte attachment were visualized by confocal and epifluorescence microscopy using indirect immunofluorescence. Expression profiles of the <i>PPO2</i> and <i>PPO3</i> prophenoloxidase genes, which encode key enzymes in the melanization reaction, were detected by qRT-PCR. Parasitization assays were used to analyze fly and wasp eclosion success. Active encapsulation and melanization reactions against <i>Leptopilina boulardi</i> were observed in the BL5905 and the BL6326 strains, though restricted to the dead supernumerary parasitoids, while fly and wasp eclosion rates were essentially the same in the four examined <i>D. melanogaster</i> strains. We conclude that encapsulation and melanization carried out by <i>D. melanogaster</i> following <i>L. boulardi</i> infection have no impact on survival. |
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| ISSN: | 2073-4409 |