Abstract 1854 Immunometabolism in the Drosophila-Parasitoid Wasp Interaction: Role of Glucose Metabolism

Infected hosts alter their metabolic activity in response to pathogen infection, but the role of this immunometabolism in infection outcome is unknown. We use the Drosophila melanogaster-parasitoid wasp model system to understand how pathogens manipulate host metabolism to ensure a successful infection. Parasitoid wasps inject their eggs into the larval hemocoel and subsequently usurp host nutrients to develop into an adult wasp within the fly pupa. Upon egg deposition, the fly mounts an immune response that includes melanotic encapsulation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) secretion that together kill the wasp egg.