Insulin-Like Signalling Influences the Coordination of Larval Hemocyte Number with Body Size in Drosophila melanogaster

Blood cells, known as hemocytes in invertebrates, play important and conserved roles in immunity, wound healing and tissue remodelling. The control of hemocyte number is therefore critical to ensure these functions are not compromised, and studies using Drosophila melanogaster are proving useful for...

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Main Authors: Daniel Bakopoulos, Lauren Forbes Beadle, Katherine M. Esposito, Christen K. Mirth, Coral G. Warr, Travis K. Johnson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford University Press 2020-07-01
Series:G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://g3journal.org/lookup/doi/10.1534/g3.120.401313
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author Daniel Bakopoulos
Lauren Forbes Beadle
Katherine M. Esposito
Christen K. Mirth
Coral G. Warr
Travis K. Johnson
author_facet Daniel Bakopoulos
Lauren Forbes Beadle
Katherine M. Esposito
Christen K. Mirth
Coral G. Warr
Travis K. Johnson
author_sort Daniel Bakopoulos
collection DOAJ
description Blood cells, known as hemocytes in invertebrates, play important and conserved roles in immunity, wound healing and tissue remodelling. The control of hemocyte number is therefore critical to ensure these functions are not compromised, and studies using Drosophila melanogaster are proving useful for understanding how this occurs. Recently, the embryonic patterning gene, torso-like (tsl), was identified as being required both for normal hemocyte development and for providing immunity against certain pathogens. Here, we report that Tsl is required specifically during the larval phase of hematopoiesis, and that tsl mutant larvae likely have reduced hemocyte numbers due to a reduced larval growth rate and compromised insulin signaling. Consistent with this, we find that impairing insulin-mediated growth, either by nutrient deprivation or genetically, results in fewer hemocytes. This is likely the result of impaired insulin-like signaling in the hemocytes themselves, since modulation of Insulin-like Receptor (InR) activity specifically in hemocytes causes concomitant changes to their population size in developing larvae. Taken together, our work reveals the strong relationship that exists between body size and hemocyte number, and suggests that insulin-like signaling contributes to, but is not solely responsible for, keeping these tightly aligned during larval development.
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spelling doaj.art-75c7b5e460854493b997da82836e013c2022-12-21T18:33:53ZengOxford University PressG3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics2160-18362020-07-011072213222010.1534/g3.120.4013139Insulin-Like Signalling Influences the Coordination of Larval Hemocyte Number with Body Size in Drosophila melanogasterDaniel BakopoulosLauren Forbes BeadleKatherine M. EspositoChristen K. MirthCoral G. WarrTravis K. JohnsonBlood cells, known as hemocytes in invertebrates, play important and conserved roles in immunity, wound healing and tissue remodelling. The control of hemocyte number is therefore critical to ensure these functions are not compromised, and studies using Drosophila melanogaster are proving useful for understanding how this occurs. Recently, the embryonic patterning gene, torso-like (tsl), was identified as being required both for normal hemocyte development and for providing immunity against certain pathogens. Here, we report that Tsl is required specifically during the larval phase of hematopoiesis, and that tsl mutant larvae likely have reduced hemocyte numbers due to a reduced larval growth rate and compromised insulin signaling. Consistent with this, we find that impairing insulin-mediated growth, either by nutrient deprivation or genetically, results in fewer hemocytes. This is likely the result of impaired insulin-like signaling in the hemocytes themselves, since modulation of Insulin-like Receptor (InR) activity specifically in hemocytes causes concomitant changes to their population size in developing larvae. Taken together, our work reveals the strong relationship that exists between body size and hemocyte number, and suggests that insulin-like signaling contributes to, but is not solely responsible for, keeping these tightly aligned during larval development.http://g3journal.org/lookup/doi/10.1534/g3.120.401313drosophila melanogasterhemocyteinsulin-like signallingtorso-likegrowth
spellingShingle Daniel Bakopoulos
Lauren Forbes Beadle
Katherine M. Esposito
Christen K. Mirth
Coral G. Warr
Travis K. Johnson
Insulin-Like Signalling Influences the Coordination of Larval Hemocyte Number with Body Size in Drosophila melanogaster
G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics
drosophila melanogaster
hemocyte
insulin-like signalling
torso-like
growth
title Insulin-Like Signalling Influences the Coordination of Larval Hemocyte Number with Body Size in Drosophila melanogaster
title_full Insulin-Like Signalling Influences the Coordination of Larval Hemocyte Number with Body Size in Drosophila melanogaster
title_fullStr Insulin-Like Signalling Influences the Coordination of Larval Hemocyte Number with Body Size in Drosophila melanogaster
title_full_unstemmed Insulin-Like Signalling Influences the Coordination of Larval Hemocyte Number with Body Size in Drosophila melanogaster
title_short Insulin-Like Signalling Influences the Coordination of Larval Hemocyte Number with Body Size in Drosophila melanogaster
title_sort insulin like signalling influences the coordination of larval hemocyte number with body size in drosophila melanogaster
topic drosophila melanogaster
hemocyte
insulin-like signalling
torso-like
growth
url http://g3journal.org/lookup/doi/10.1534/g3.120.401313
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