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Dynamic evolution of the innate immune system in Drosophila

Nature Genetics volume 39, pages 1461–1468 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

The availability of complete genome sequence from 12 Drosophila species presents the opportunity to examine how natural selection has affected patterns of gene family evolution and sequence divergence among different components of the innate immune system. We have identified orthologs and paralogs of 245 Drosophila melanogaster immune-related genes in these recently sequenced genomes. Genes encoding effector proteins, and to a lesser extent genes encoding recognition proteins, are much more likely to vary in copy number across species than genes encoding signaling proteins. Furthermore, we can trace the apparent recent origination of several evolutionarily novel immune-related genes and gene families. Using codon-based likelihood methods, we show that immune-system genes, and especially those encoding recognition proteins, evolve under positive darwinian selection. Positively selected sites within recognition proteins cluster in domains involved in recognition of microorganisms, suggesting that molecular interactions between hosts and pathogens may drive adaptive evolution in the Drosophila immune system.

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Figure 1: Variation in patterns of homology among immune-system genes.
Figure 2: Schematic map of the nimrod and eater genes in the 12 Drosophila species.
Figure 3: Variation in positive selection among immune-system genes.
Figure 4: Positive selection in PGRP-LCa.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (A.G.C. and B.P.L.); the National Sciences Foundation (B.P.L.); and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the Wallenberg Consortium North and the Swedish Research Council (D.H.). T.B.S. is a Howard Hughes Predoctoral Fellow.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Field of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA

    Timothy B Sackton & Andrew G Clark

  2. Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, New York, USA

    Brian P Lazzaro

  3. Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia, USA

    Todd A Schlenke

  4. US Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, 20705, Maryland, USA

    Jay D Evans

  5. Umeå Centre for Molecular Pathogenesis, Umeå University, Umeå, S-901 87, Sweden

    Dan Hultmark

  6. Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, New York, USA

    Andrew G Clark

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  1. Timothy B Sackton
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Contributions

T.B.S. and A.G.C. designed this study; T.B.S., B.P.L., T.A.S., J.D.E., D.H., and A.G.C. generated the data and analyzed the results; T.B.S. wrote this paper; B.P.L., T.A.S., J.D.E., D.H., and A.G.C. contributed to the writing and editing of this paper.

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Correspondence to Timothy B Sackton.

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Sackton, T., Lazzaro, B., Schlenke, T. et al. Dynamic evolution of the innate immune system in Drosophila. Nat Genet 39, 1461–1468 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.2007.60

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