... receptor Toll and thereby initiates a cyto-plasmic signaling pathway, resulting in the release of arel family transcription factor Dorsal from the inhibi-tor protein Cactus to activate genes involved ... perform immune functions. Thismechanism leads to activation of phenoloxidase, whichoxidizes catechols, leading to the formation of toxicquinones and melanin [1,2], and to the activation of cytokines ... reported in other genes, such as human and Drosophila Gsa (the a-subunit of the guanine nucleotide -binding protein)isoforms [41,42].ProSpa¨tzle-1 mRNA was detected in hemocytes and fat bodies of...