Impact of Chronic Infection on Resistance and Tolerance to Secondary Infection in Drosophila melanogaster
Abigail M. Wukitch, Madyline M. Lawrence, Francesco P. Satriale, Alexa Patel, Grace M. Ginder, E. van Beek, Owais Gilani, Moria C. Chambers
Abstract
. Further investigation of S. marcescens chronic infection also revealed robust protection against the highly virulent Providencia sneebia, and that protection was dependent on the initial infectious dose for S. marcescens with protective doses corresponding with significantly increased diptericin expression. While the increased expression of this antimicrobial peptide gene likely explains the increased resistance, increased tolerance is likely due to other alterations in organismal physiology, such as increased negative regulation of immunity or tolerance of ER stress. These findings provide a foundation for future studies on how chronic infection influences tolerance to secondary infection.