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: Lilla B. Magyar, István Andó, Gyöngyi Cinege
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Cells
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/1/46
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author Lilla B. Magyar
István Andó
Gyöngyi Cinege
author_facet Lilla B. Magyar
István Andó
Gyöngyi Cinege
author_sort Lilla B. Magyar
collection DOAJ
description 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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spelling doaj-art-fc0fff14e81146969b39a412fe0f50ee2025-01-10T13:16:21ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092025-01-011414610.3390/cells14010046Encapsulation and Melanization Are Not Correlated to Successful Immune Defense Against Parasitoid Wasps in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>Lilla B. Magyar0István Andó1Gyöngyi Cinege2Innate Immunity Group, Institute of Genetics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, 6726 Szeged, HungaryInnate Immunity Group, Institute of Genetics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, 6726 Szeged, HungaryInnate Immunity Group, Institute of Genetics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, 6726 Szeged, HungaryParasitoid 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/1/46<i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>encapsulationmelanizationhemocyteparasitoid waspeclosion
spellingShingle Lilla B. Magyar
István Andó
Gyöngyi Cinege
Encapsulation and Melanization Are Not Correlated to Successful Immune Defense Against Parasitoid Wasps in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>
Cells
<i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>
encapsulation
melanization
hemocyte
parasitoid wasp
eclosion
title Encapsulation and Melanization Are Not Correlated to Successful Immune Defense Against Parasitoid Wasps in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>
title_full Encapsulation and Melanization Are Not Correlated to Successful Immune Defense Against Parasitoid Wasps in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>
title_fullStr Encapsulation and Melanization Are Not Correlated to Successful Immune Defense Against Parasitoid Wasps in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>
title_full_unstemmed Encapsulation and Melanization Are Not Correlated to Successful Immune Defense Against Parasitoid Wasps in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>
title_short Encapsulation and Melanization Are Not Correlated to Successful Immune Defense Against Parasitoid Wasps in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>
title_sort encapsulation and melanization are not correlated to successful immune defense against parasitoid wasps in i drosophila melanogaster i
topic <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>
encapsulation
melanization
hemocyte
parasitoid wasp
eclosion
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/1/46
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AT istvanando encapsulationandmelanizationarenotcorrelatedtosuccessfulimmunedefenseagainstparasitoidwaspsinidrosophilamelanogasteri
AT gyongyicinege encapsulationandmelanizationarenotcorrelatedtosuccessfulimmunedefenseagainstparasitoidwaspsinidrosophilamelanogasteri