The secretion of anti-microbial peptides is recognised as an essential step in innate immunity, but there is limited knowledge of the molecular mechanism controlling the release of these effectors from immune response cells. Here, we report that Drosophila 14-3-3ε mutants exhibit reduced survival when infected with either Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria, indicating a functional role for 14-3-3ε in innate immunity. In 14-3-3ε mutants, there was a reduced release of the anti-microbial peptide Drosomycin into the haemolymph, which correlated with an accumulation of Drosomycin-containing vesicles near the plasma membrane of cells isolated from immune response tissues. Drosomycin appeared to be delivered towards the plasma membrane in Rab4- and Rab11-positive vesicles and smaller Rab11-positive vesicles. RNAi silencing of Rab11 and Rab4 significantly blocked the anterograde delivery of Drosomycin from the perinuclear region to the plasma membrane. However, in 14-3-3ε mutants there was an accumulation of small Rab11-positive vesicles near the plasma membrane. This vesicular phenotype was similar to that observed in response to the depletion of the vesicular Syntaxin protein Syx1a. In wild-type Drosophila immune tissue, 14-3-3ε was detected adjacent to Rab11, and partially overlapping with Syx1a, on vesicles near the plasma membrane. We conclude that 14-3-3ε is required for Rab11-positive vesicle function, which in turn enables antimicrobial peptide secretion during an innate immune response.

Neutral Re(i) tetrazolato complexes exhibit labeling of lipid droplets with high specificity.

Localization of RNAs at protrusive regions of cells is important for single-cell migration on two-dimensional surfaces. Protrusion-enriched RNAs encode factors linked to cancer progression, such as the RAB13 GTPase and the NET1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor, and are regulated by the tumor-suppressor protein APC. However, tumor cells in vivo often do not move as single cells but rather utilize collective modes of invasion and dissemination. Here, we developed an inducible system of three-dimensional (3D) collective invasion to study the behavior and importance of protrusion-enriched RNAs. We find that, strikingly, both the RAB13 and NET1 RNAs are enriched specifically at the invasive front of leader cells in invasive cell strands. This localization requires microtubules and coincides with sites of high laminin concentration. Indeed, laminin association and integrin engagement are required for RNA accumulation at the invasive front. Importantly, perturbing RNA accumulation reduces collective 3D invasion. Examination of in vivo tumors reveals a similar localization of the RAB13 and NET1 RNAs at potential invasive sites, suggesting that this mechanism could provide a targeting opportunity for interfering with collective cancer cell invasion.