EXPRESSION OF ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDE GENES AFTER INFECTION BY PARASITOID WASPS IN DROSOPHILA

We report here the use of a specific beta-galactosidase staining assay and Northern blotting technique to examine the expression of three ge nes encoding either antibacterial peptides (diptericin, cecropin A) or an antifungal peptide (drosomycin) in Drosophila following infection by larval and pupal parasitoids. The results show that the genes encod ing these peptides are either not induced or minimally induced in wasp -infected hosts, but remain responsive and are induced upon microbial challenge. As the parasitoids elicit a cellular response, our data sug gest that the antimicrobial responses are activated and/or regulated b y mechanisms that are independent of those mediating cellular encapsul ation. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.