Pherokine-2 and -3: Two Drosophila molecules related to pheromone/odor-binding proteins induced by viral and bacterial infections

Drosophila is a powerful model system to study the regulatory and effector mechanisms of innate immunity. To identify molecules induced in the course of viral infection in this insect, we have developed a model based on intrathoracic injection of the picorna-like Drosophila C virus (DCV). We have used MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to compare the hemolymph of DCV infected flies and control flies. By contrast with the strong humoral response triggered by injection of bacteria or fungal spores, we have identified only one molecule induced in the hemolymph of virus infected flies. This molecule, pherokine-2 (Phk-2), is related to OS-D/A10 (Phk-1), which was previously characterized as a putative odor/pheromone binding protein specifically expressed in antennae. The virus-induced molecule is also similar to the product of the gene CG9358 (Phk-3), which is induced by septic injury. Both Phk-2 and Phk-3 are strongly expressed during metamorphosis, suggesting that they may participate in tissue-remodeling.