DROSOPHILA AS A VERSATILE MODEL SYSTEM, TO STUDY IMMUNE DEFENSE AGAINST BACTERIAL PATHOGENS

Acinetobacter baumannii is an antibiotic-resistant bacterium that presents significant public health challenges. Existing model systems for studying A. baumannii infections have notable limitations. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using the common genetic model organism Drosophila melanogaster as a model system for investigating A. baumannii infections. We tested susceptibility to multiple A. baumannii strains in D. melanogaster through two infection methods (pinprick and nanoinjection) and manipulated the infection conditions to increase D. melanogaster susceptibility, for example through double infection and exposure to high temperatures. Although we did not establish D. melanogasteras a definitive model system for studying A. baumannii, our work has contributed valuable insights to the field by identifying key conditions that could serve as important steps toward this objective. These conditions include exploring fly lines that can withstand higher temperatures and using clinical strains of A. baumannii while accounting for sexual dimorphism in post-inoculation survival. Advancing this work would be valuable for drug development efforts and enhancing our understanding of the immune evasion mechanisms that make A. baumannii challenging to treat and survive against.