Wang Xiao Chun, Deng Shuang, Yu Liyun, Cao Rongan, Li Liangyu
College of Food Science, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China.
National Coarse Cereals Engineering Research Center, Daqing, China.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025 Jul 28;15:1621846. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1621846. eCollection 2025.
is a quintessential model organism that has been used in many scientific studies. The intestinal immune response of flies is a critical component of their innate immune system. Given that flies primarily consume decaying organic matter, harmful microorganisms present in their food can enter the intestine, leading to frequent infections by exogenous pathogens. When these pathogens are introduced into the intestinal environment, a cascade of immune responses is triggered within the intestinal tissue, aimed at preserving the integrity of the intestinal barrier and ensuring the proper physiological functions of the gut. Porcine rotavirus (PoRV) is a key pathogen that causes diarrhea in pigs, and PoRV infection can significantly reduce piglet survival rates.
In this study, wild-type flies were orally administered PoRV to establish an effective intestinal damage animal model, and a detailed investigation of the antiviral immune defense mechanism in the fly intestine was performed.
Our study revealed that PoRV infection caused a reduction in the survival rate of flies and an increase in intestinal epithelial cell death. Concurrently, PoRV infection significantly promoted the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal cells, contributing to the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis. After the activation of JAK/STAT signaling in the intestines of infected , there was an increase in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This elevation was concomitant with the release of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which play a crucial role in pathogen clearance. Additionally, we identified substantial aggregation of hemocytes in the midgut. The composition of the intestinal microbiota also underwent changes, potentially playing a role in intestinal immune defense. Moreover, PoRV can evade clearance via the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. In summary, PoRV infection in the fly intestine activates multiple immune defense mechanisms to eliminate the pathogen, offering a theoretical basis for PoRV prevention and control.
是一种典型的模式生物，已被用于许多科学研究。果蝇的肠道免疫反应是其固有免疫系统的关键组成部分。鉴于果蝇主要食用腐烂的有机物，其食物中存在的有害微生物可进入肠道，导致外源病原体频繁感染。当这些病原体被引入肠道环境时，肠道组织内会触发一系列免疫反应，旨在维持肠道屏障的完整性并确保肠道的正常生理功能。猪轮状病毒（PoRV）是导致猪腹泻的关键病原体，PoRV感染可显著降低仔猪存活率。
在本研究中，对野生型果蝇口服PoRV以建立有效的肠道损伤动物模型，并对果蝇肠道中的抗病毒免疫防御机制进行了详细研究。
我们的研究表明，PoRV感染导致果蝇存活率降低和肠道上皮细胞死亡增加。同时，PoRV感染显著促进肠道细胞的增殖和分化，有助于维持肠道内环境稳定。在感染果蝇的肠道中JAK/STAT信号激活后，活性氧（ROS）水平升高。这种升高伴随着抗菌肽（AMPs）的释放，抗菌肽在病原体清除中起关键作用。此外，我们发现中肠中有大量血细胞聚集。肠道微生物群的组成也发生了变化，可能在肠道免疫防御中发挥作用。此外，PoRV可通过RNA干扰（RNAi）途径逃避清除。总之，果蝇肠道中的PoRV感染激活多种免疫防御机制以清除病原体，为PoRV的防控提供了理论依据。
