Tissue-specific expression of antimicrobial peptide genes in the alimentary canal of flies that ingested GFP-<i>P. aeruginosa</i>.

Abstract

<p>House flies (n = 30 in each of two replicates) were fed an average 6.6×10⁴ CFU GFP-<i>P. aeruginosa</i> and at 2, 6, 10, 12, and 24 h post-ingestion, flies (n = 5 per replicate) were dissected to separate the alimentary canal tissues (proventriculus, crop, midgut, hindgut), which were pooled within replicate/time point for qRT-PCR analysis. Fold changes <i>cecropin</i> (A), <i>defensin</i> (B), and <i>diptericin</i> (C) expression were calculated using the REST-MCS© by calibrating to AMP expression levels in unfed adult flies and using the reference gene <i>rps18</i>. Mean log₂-fold changes in expression are shown, and error bars are standard error. Different letters represent significant differences between mean AMP expression levels across tissues within the indicated time point (P≤0.05). Refer to <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0079224#pone.0079224.s004" target="_blank">Table S3</a> for REST-MCS analysis of tissue-specific AMP expression for each replicate.</p