Investigating the Role of Actin57B Gene on Age-Related Changes in Immune Response

Abstract

The age-related decline in the innate immune response, or immunosenescence, is highly variable among eukaryotes and has been shown to have a genetic basis. Using Drosophila melanogaster as the model organism, previous studies have identified several candidate genes that could affect an organism’s infection clearance ability. One of the genes identified is Actin57B, which is upregulated in older flies. This gene has been studied for its involvement in embryonic muscle development, but little is known about its role in the innate immune response. To assess the role of Actin57B in immune response, we knocked down its expression in hemocytes using the Gal4/UAS system in Drosophila melanogaster to activate RNA interference against the gene. To evaluate the immune response, one and five week old flies were injected with an E. coli solution and were given 24-hours to recover and clear the infection. The surviving flies were homogenized and plated on agar plates. The resulting bacterial colonies were counted and used as the phenotype that reflects the remaining infection. Through measuring the impact of Actin57B on the innate immune response, our results will validate findings that this gene contributes to immunity and aid in the development of more effective, personalized therapeutics to improve healthspan.