An antioxidant system required for host protection against gut infection in Drosophila

Eun Mi Ha, Chun Taek Oh, Ji Hwan Ryu, Yun Soo Bae, Sang Won Kang, In hwan Jang, Paul T. Brey, Won Jae Lee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

278 Scopus citations

Abstract

A fundamental question that applies to all organisms is how barrier epithelia efficiently manage continuous contact with microorganisms. Here, we show that in Drosophila an extracellular immune-regulated catalase (IRC) mediates a key host defense system that is needed during host-microbe interaction in the gastrointestinal tract. Strikingly, adult flies with severely reduced IRC expression show high mortality rates even after simple ingestion of microbe-contaminated foods. However, despite the central role that the NF-κB pathway plays in eliciting antimicrobial responses, NF-κB pathway mutant flies are totally resistant to such infections. These results imply that homeostasis of redox balance by IRC is one of the most critical factors affecting host survival during continuous host-microbe interaction in the gastrointestinal tract.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)125-132
Number of pages8
JournalDevelopmental Cell
Volume8
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2005

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