High impact information on Spn27A

• Spn27A controls the Toll pathway during early development and is involved in defence reactions in adult flies [1].
• The effect of the transgenic RNAi knockdown of AaREL1 on mosquito innate immunity was revealed by increased susceptibility to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana and the reduced induction of Spz1A and Serpin-27A gene expression after fungal challenge [2].
• Here, we have described the genetic characterization of two immune inducible serine proteases, MP1 and MP2, which act in a melanization cascade regulated by Spn27A [3].
• RNA interference knock down of Toll5A and Spz1C resulted in two phenotypes of Aedes Toll/REL1 pathway deficiency: decreased induction of Aedes Serpin-27A following fungal challenge and increased susceptibility to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana [4].
• The RNA interference knock-outs revealed that AaREL1 affected the expression of Aedes homologue of Drosophila Serpin-27A and mediated specific antifungal immune response against B. bassiana [5].

Anatomical context of Spn27A

• This study confirms the role of Spn27A in the melanization cascade and establishes that this pathway and associated blood cell responses can be activated by parasitization [6].

Other interactions of Spn27A

• The activation of phenoloxidase and the site-specific localization of the ensuing melanotic response are such critical components of the blood cell response that Spn27A and the signaling elements mediating its activity are likely to represent prime targets for immune suppression by L. boulardi [6].
• Molecular cloning and sequence comparison indicate that serpin-3 is orthologous to Drosophila melanogaster serpin 27A, a regulator of melanization [7].

References