Toll Mediated Infection Response Is Altered by Gravity and Spaceflight in Drosophila

摘要: Space travel presents unlimited opportunities for exploration and discovery, but requires better understanding of the biological consequences long-term exposure to spaceflight. Immune function in particular is relevant space travel. Human immune responses are weakened space, with increased vulnerability opportunistic infections immune-related conditions. In addition, microorganisms can become more virulent causing further challenges health. To understand these issues contribute design effective countermeasures, we used Drosophila model innate immunity study both hypergravity Focusing on mediated through conserved Toll Imd signaling pathways, found that improves resistance Toll-mediated fungal except a known gravitaxis mutant yuri gagarin gene. These results led first spaceflight project immunity, which flies developed adulthood microgravity were assessed by transcription profiling return Earth. Spaceflight alone altered transcription, producing activation heat shock stress system. subsequently infected fungus failed activate pathway. contrast, bacterial infection produced normal We speculate possible linkage between functional chaperone Our major findings have opposing effects, produces stress-related transcriptional specific inability mount response.