Actin is an evolutionarily-conserved damage-associated molecular pattern that signals tissue injury in Drosophila melanogaster

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.19662
• Publication Date: 2016-11-18T13:00:50Z
• Authors: Naren Srinivasan; Oliver Gordon; Susan Ahrens; Anna Franz; Safia Deddouche; Probir Chakravarty; David Phillips; Ali A Yunus; Michael K Rosen; Rita S Valente; Luis Teixeira; Barry Thompson; Marc S Dionne; Will Wood; Caetano Reis e Sousa
• Keywords: Conserved sequence

Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are molecules released by dead cells that trigger sterile inflammation and, in vertebrates, adaptive immunity. Actin is a DAMP detected mammals the receptor, DNGR-1, expressed dendritic (DCs). DNGR-1 phosphorylated Src-family kinases and recruits tyrosine kinase Syk to promote DC cross-presentation of cell-associated antigens. Here we report actin also invertebrates lack DCs Administration Drosophila melanogaster triggers response characterised selective induction STAT target genes fat body through cytokine Upd3 its JAK/STAT-coupled Domeless. Notably, this requires signalling via Shark, orthologue Syk, Src42A, kinase, dependent on Nox activity. Thus, extracellular detection kinase-dependent cascade an ancient means detecting cell injury precedes evolution