A pore-forming toxin monalysin contributes to infection-induced suppression of defecation in female Drosophila.

Pore-forming toxin Monalysin is essential for Pseudomonas entomophila to suppress defecation in female Drosophila melanogaster, reducing pathogen expulsion and increasing virulence.

• Why it matters: Understanding how microbes subvert host defense mechanisms like defecation is crucial for revealing pathogen strategies and host-pathogen interactions that influence infection outcomes.
• What they did: Researchers compared proteomes of bacterial mutants and identified Monalysin, a pore-forming toxin, as a key factor in inhibiting defecation, with the Monalysin-deficient mutant showing less suppression and virulence.
• The result: Monalysin contributes to intestinal damage and transient suppression of defecation, advancing knowledge of bacterial factors that manipulate host defenses and potentially informing infection control strategies.