Fig. 3: Synapses are present between Neuronsaorta and aorta cells and neuronal activity regulates lymph gland rupture and wasp egg encapsulation following wasp parasitism.
From: Serotonergic neurons regulate the Drosophila vascular niche to control immune stress hematopoiesis
A Transversal section of anterior aorta. Cardiac cells express a membrane-bound GFP (HandΔ>mCD8-GFP, green) and Fas2 (red) labels axons. Nuclei of aorta cells are indicated by white arrowheads. Fas2 staining is localized at dorsal part of cardiac tube. Lymph gland nuclei are stained with DAPI. B–B” GFP reconstitution across synaptic partners (GRASP) shows physical connections between anterior aorta cells and Neuronsaorta fibers. tow-LexA and HandΔ-Gal4 are used to express LexAop-CD4-spGFP11 and UAS-CD4-spGFP1-10, respectively. GRASP is in green (B, B’), and Neuronsaorta synapses are stained with Brp immunostaining (pink in (B) or black in (B”)). Nuclei of aorta cells are indicated by white arrowheads; (A, B) at least three biological replicates were performed. C, E Quantification (%) of wasp egg encapsulation when CaMKII-RNAi (C) and Irk2 (E) are expressed in neurons using Gyc89Da-Gal4 driver. The mean of three independent experiments is represented: control n = 85 (C) and 306 (E); CaMKII-RNAi n = 75 (C) and Irk2 n = 231 (E). D, F Quantification (%) of lymph gland disruption post parasitism when CaMKII-RNAi (D) and Irk2 (F) are expressed in neurons. Lymph gland disruptions were analyzed 11H post parasitism (D) and 17H post parasitism (F), since larvae were raised at 29 °C and 22 °C, respectively. Quantification represents the mean of three independent biological replicates: control n = 98 (D) and 68 (F); CaMKII-RNAi n = 83 (D) and Irk2 n = 66 (F). Error bars represent SEM. Statistical test: Pearson’s Chi-squared test, one-tailed. * p < 0.05, *** p < 0.001. For (C–F), source data are provided as a Source Data file. Scale bars, 20 μm.
