JAK/STAT Pathway in Drosophila Immunity

Abstract

The Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signalling pathway controls multiple biological processes in metazoan development and tissue homoeostasis. This creates a need for tight regulatory mechanisms to ensure proper responses. The core components of the pathway, as well as many of the regulatory molecules, are conserved in evolution and thus share similarities in organisms such as humans and fruit flies. Therefore, the fruit fly provides an amenable model system for elucidating the in vivo roles of the JAK/STAT pathway and its regulators, which are challenging to demonstrate in mammalian systems. This review will focus on describing recent advances in understanding the importance of JAK/STAT signalling in Drosophila immunity.

A Janus Kinase in the JAK/STAT signaling pathway from Litopenaeus vannamei is involved in antiviral immune response

“…The JAK/STAT signaling pathway controls multiple biology processes and there are tight regulatory mechanisms to ensure proper responses [5,6]. The strength, kinetics and specificity of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway can be modulated at many steps through distinct regulatory proteins [5,6].…”

“…The strength, kinetics and specificity of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway can be modulated at many steps through distinct regulatory proteins [5,6]. These regulator proteins can be broadly divided into two classes: positive regulators and negative regulators.…”

“…Drosophila JAK/STAT activation is thought to follow the canonical signaling model similar to that described in mammals [5]. As contributing to the innate immune response against viruses in mammals, the JAK/STAT signaling of Drosophila has also been shown to play an important role in innate antiviral response [6,7]. Many genes such as TotA, TotM and virusinduced RNA-1 (vir-1), contain STAT-binding sites in their promoter regions, and their activations are proved to be dependent of the JAK/STAT pathway, which are involved in antiviral response [6,7].…”

“…As contributing to the innate immune response against viruses in mammals, the JAK/STAT signaling of Drosophila has also been shown to play an important role in innate antiviral response [6,7]. Many genes such as TotA, TotM and virusinduced RNA-1 (vir-1), contain STAT-binding sites in their promoter regions, and their activations are proved to be dependent of the JAK/STAT pathway, which are involved in antiviral response [6,7]. Besides, the Drosophila with deficiencies or mutants of the core components in the JAK/STAT pathway are hyper-sensitive to viral infection [6,7].…”

“…Many genes such as TotA, TotM and virusinduced RNA-1 (vir-1), contain STAT-binding sites in their promoter regions, and their activations are proved to be dependent of the JAK/STAT pathway, which are involved in antiviral response [6,7]. Besides, the Drosophila with deficiencies or mutants of the core components in the JAK/STAT pathway are hyper-sensitive to viral infection [6,7]. In addition, the Dicer2-Vago antiviral pathway in Drosophila are shown to cooperate with the JAK/STAT pathway but independent of Dome [8,9].…”