Research Endosymbiont control through non-canonical immune signaling and gut metabolic remodeling
A better understanding of how innate immunity communicates with metabolism to control intracellular bacteria
Animals coexist with bacteria and must keep these microorganisms under tight control. In the gut, pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) sense bacterial cues and induce the production of antimicrobials to neutralize pathogens. However, this strategy may be ineffective against intracellular bacteria, as their lifestyle protects them from a classic immune response. Sofie Burgmer and colleagues have used imaging and multi-omics approaches to demonstrate that PRR signaling inhibits essential metabolic processes in the gut of Drosophila, including digestion and central carbon metabolism. This metabolic remodeling curbs the proliferation of parasitic intracellular bacteria in the gut and throughout the body, likely by imposing nutrient restriction on these microorganisms. Therefore, PRRs exert roles in bacterial control that extends beyond conventional immunity. Form a broader perspective, this study from the Storelli lab provides insights into how microbial signals and PRRs modulate metabolism in animals to control bacterial populations.
