Tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) typically exhibit a natural refractoriness towards the African trypanosomes they transmit. We hypothesize that this refractoriness, observed in field and colony flies, is the result of a robust innate immune response. The observed upregulation of immune components produced by fat body tissue in colonized Glossina morsitans morsitans with established Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense midgut infections lends support to this hypothesis. However, the applicability of these results to field populations of tsetse is uncertain. Colony flies are inbred and are reared under constant environmental conditions. In contrast, field populations weather a number of fluctuating environmental variables that could affect a fly’s ability to mount an effective defense. Furthermore, a single fly can be exposed to numerous trypanosome species that exhibit unique patterns of differentation. These multiple associations may influence the level or pattern of response elicited. In order to provide a more accurate assessment of the innate immune response, Glossina pallidipes were collected from two locations in Western Kenya endemic for African trypanosomiasis. Flies were grouped according to trypanosome infection status, and fat body mRNAs corresponding to these infection groups were hybridized to an immune induced fat body cDNA macroarray. Comparison of expression profiles generated for infected field flies with profiles for colony flies will highlight any potential differences between them. In addition, examination of profiles representing different infection types in field flies will determine to what extent the type and multiplicity of infection influences the ability of the fly to mount an effective immune response.
Species 1: Diptera Glossinidae Glossina pallidipes (tsetse fly)
Species 2: Euglenozoa Kinetoplastida Trypanosoma brucei (African trypanosomes)
Keywords: immunity
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