Regulation of the Drosophila Imd pathway by signaling amyloids

Abstract

Fruit flies elicit effective defense responses against numerous microbes. The responses against Gram-negative bacteria are mediated by the Imd pathway, an evolutionarily conserved NF-kappaB pathway recognizing meso-diaminopimelic acid (DAP)-type peptidoglycan from bacterial cell walls. Several reviews already provide a detailed view of ligand recognition and signal transduction during Imd signaling, but the formation and regulation of the signaling complex immediately downstream of the peptidoglycan-sensing receptors is still elusive. In this review, we focus on the formation of the Imd amyloidal signaling center and post-translational modifications in the assembly and disassembly of the Imd signaling complex.