Disease relevance of BG4

• Our data show that loss of dFADD function renders flies highly susceptible to Gram-negative infections without affecting resistance to Gram-positive bacteria [1].
• Using inducible expression of dFADD double-stranded RNA, we demonstrate that dFADD is a novel component of the Imd pathway: dFADD double-stranded RNA expression reduces the induction of antibacterial peptide-encoding genes after infection and renders the fly susceptible to Gram-negative bacterial infection [2].

High impact information on BG4

• Using a two-hybrid screen in yeast, we have isolated the death protein dFADD as a molecule that associates with IMD [1].
• We also show that dMyD88 associates with the death domain-containing adapter Drosophila Fas-associated death domain-containing protein (dFADD), which in turn interacts with the apical caspase Dredd [3].
• Characterization of reaper- and FADD-induced apoptosis in a lepidopteran cell line [4].
• Epistatic studies indicate that dFADD acts between Imd and Dredd [2].
• dFADD, a novel death domain-containing adapter protein for the Drosophila caspase DREDD [5].

Biological context of BG4

• The structural and functional similarities between dFADD and FADD suggest the existence of a FADD-like apoptosis pathway in Drosophila [5].

References