研究人员描述了双翅目昆虫抗菌肽家族的功能和演化。利用影响黑腹果蝇两种双翅肽（Dpt）的突变，研究人员揭示了DptA对病原体雷氏普罗威登斯菌以及DptB对肠道互惠菌醋酸杆菌的特殊作用。双翅目昆虫中DptA或DptB样基因的存在与其环境中普罗威登斯菌和醋酸杆菌的存在相关。此外，DptA和DptB样序列还预测了果蝇属中宿主对这些细菌感染的抵抗力。
这项研究解释了抗菌肽家族爆发式快速演化背后的逻辑，并揭示了宿主免疫系统如何适应不断变化的微生物环境。
据了解，抗菌肽是宿主编码的免疫效应物，可对抗病原体并塑造动植物的微生物群。然而，人们对宿主抗菌肽库如何适应其微生物组知之甚少。
附：英文原文
Title: Ecology-relevant bacteria drive the evolution of host antimicrobial peptides in Drosophila
Author: M. A. Hanson, L. Grollmus, B. Lemaitre
Issue&Volume: 2023-07-21
Abstract: Antimicrobial peptides are host-encoded immune effectors that combat pathogens and shape the microbiome in plants and animals. However, little is known about how the host antimicrobial peptide repertoire is adapted to its microbiome. Here, we characterized the function and evolution of the Diptericin antimicrobial peptide family of Diptera. Using mutations affecting the two Diptericins (Dpt) of Drosophila melanogaster, we reveal the specific role of DptA for the pathogen Providencia rettgeri and DptB for the gut mutualist Acetobacter. The presence of DptA- or DptB-like genes across Diptera correlates with the presence of Providencia and Acetobacter in their environment. Moreover, DptA- and DptB-like sequences predict host resistance against infection by these bacteria across the genus Drosophila. Our study explains the evolutionary logic behind the bursts of rapid evolution of an antimicrobial peptide family and reveals how the host immune repertoire adapts to changing microbial environments.
DOI: adg5725
Source: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg5725