2020/01/31 by Rebecca L. Belmonte, Mary-Kate Corbally, David Duneau +1 · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Immunology and Microbiology · #Insect Utilization and Effects #Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences #Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
paper · pdf · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2019.03075
openalex publication_date 2020/01/31 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
The sexes show profound differences in responses to infection and the development of autoimmunity. Dimorphisms in immune responses are ubiquitous across taxa, from arthropods to vertebrates. Drosophila melanogaster shows strong sex dimorphisms in immune system responses at baseline, upon pathogenic challenge, and over ageing. In this review, we synthesise evidence for sexually dimorphic responses to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. Dimorphisms may be mediated by distinct immune compartments, and we review work on sex differences in behavioral, epithelial, cellular and systemic (fatbody-mediated) immunity. Emerging work on sexually dimorphic immune ageing and inflammation will be explored, with a focus on intestinal immunity and microbial dysbiosis. We consider evolutionary drivers for sex differences in immune investment, highlight the features of Drosophila biology that make it particularly amenable to studies of immune dimorphisms, and discuss areas for future exploration.