Drosophila parasitoids go to space: Unexpected effects of spaceflight on hosts and their parasitoids.

This recent study sheds light on how certain wasp venoms can affect the health of honeybees. Scientists found that when they exposed laboratory-grown bee larva to two types of wasp, G0 and S0, both caused changes in a specific cell type called lamellocytes - cells usually involved in fighting off parasites inside the body. Interestingly, these venoms didn't make one group more vulnerable than another; they had similar effects on bees from different types of wasps (G0 and S0). What makes this study even more intriguing is that honeybees with a genetic mutation called hopTum-llarvae, which already have an overactive immune response leading to tumor formation inside their bodies, showed similar changes in lamellocytes when exposed to the venoms.

In a recent study published on January 19, 2024, iScience unveiled novel insights into the immune responses of space-adapted Drosophila larvae. The research focused primarily on how elevated Toll signaling contributes to tumorigenesis in hopTum-llarvae and whether similar mechanisms are at play within S0 ywflies, which typically do not develop such phenotypes due to their intact immune systems. Methodology: The study employed annex vivo assays using gold-coated Drosophila larvae exposed to venom from G0 and S0 wasps in a controlled laboratory environment. This approach allowed for the observation of morphological changes induced by different types of venoms on lamellocyte shape, which is indicative of immune responses within these cells. Key Findings: The researchers found that both G0 and S0 Lh14 EVs caused significant alterations in lamellocyte shapes when compared to buffer controls (p<0.05).