Insect immunology and hematopoiesis

• Insect immune responses are mediated by hemocytes, the fat body, the midgut and other tissues.
• Pathogen recognition occurs via the interaction of pattern recognition receptors and pathogen associated molecular patterns.
• Immune signaling occurs, for example, via the Toll, Imd, and Jak/Stat pathways.
• Pathogen killing occurs via phagocytosis, melanization, cellular encapsulation, nodulation, lysis, RNAi, autophagy, and apoptosis.
• Hemocytes replicate within hematopoietic organs, as circulating cells, and as sessile cells.
• Hemolymph flow, prior infection, environmental conditions, insect age, and sociality impact immune responses.

Insects combat infection by mounting powerful immune responses that are mediated by hemocytes, the fat body, the midgut, the salivary glands and other tissues. Foreign organisms that have entered the body of an insect are recognized by the immune system when pathogen-associated molecular patterns bind host-derived pattern recognition receptors. This, in turn, activates immune signaling pathways that amplify the immune response, induce the production of factors with antimicrobial activity, and activate effector pathways. Among the immune signaling pathways are the Toll, Imd, Jak/Stat, JNK, and insulin pathways. Activation of these and other pathways leads to pathogen killing via phagocytosis, melanization, cellular encapsulation, nodulation, lysis, RNAi-mediated virus destruction, autophagy and apoptosis. This review details these and other aspects of immunity in insects, and discusses how the immune and circulatory systems have co-adapted to combat infection, how hemocyte replication and differentiation takes place (hematopoiesis), how an infection prepares an insect for a subsequent infection (immune priming), how environmental factors such as temperature and the age of the insect impact the immune response, and how social immunity protects entire groups. Finally, this review highlights some underexplored areas in the field of insect immunobiology.

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