Dietary stress induced macrophage metabolic reprogramming, a determinant of animal growth

Abstract

Nutrient sensing and signaling play pivotal roles in animal growth. However, under dietary stress, this system falters, leading to growth defects. While immune cells are increasingly recognized as key nutrient sensors, their impact on animal growth remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigate how Drosophila larval macrophages respond to excessive dietary sugar and identify a reconfiguration of their metabolic state. They undergo a glycolytic shift, intensify TCA activity, and elevate TAG synthesis. While typical of sugarinduced nutrient stress, these changes interestingly exert contrasting effects on animal growth: glycolysis and increased TCA activity inhibit growth, while the lipogenic shift promotes it. However, the lipogenic response is insufficient to counteract the metabolic events suppressing growth, resulting in an overall reduction in adult fly size under high sugar conditions. Stimulating a pro-lipogenic immune state facilitates growth recovery, suggesting a growth paradigm governed by immune-metabolic transitions. This study unveils the unexpected influence of macrophage metabolic reprogramming on organismal growth homeostasis during Drosophila development, highlighting immune cell states as central determinants of growth, particularly under dietary stress.