整合昆虫发育生物学和果蝇遗传学来研究昆虫发育与变态

成熟动物(昆虫)个体大小主要由生长持续时间和生长速度2个因素所决定。蜕皮激素和保幼激素协同调控昆虫发育变态,并决定昆虫生长持续时间;胰岛素、营养和细胞接触抑制等生长死亡信号及其传导途径控制细胞分裂、长大、分化、死亡,并最终决定昆虫的生长速度。最近研究成果表明,蜕皮激素信号和胰岛素信号相互影响,对昆虫个体大小起决定性的作用;脂肪体和营养代谢把这2条信号传导途径整合起来。科学家将会整合昆虫发育生物学和果蝇遗传学,抓住生长持续时间和生长速率2个关键因素,并以营养代谢和脂肪体为切入点来研究昆虫的发育变态。

Synergism of insect developmental biology and Drosophila genetics for studying insect development and metamorphosis

Body size of mature animal (insect) is determined by two factors: growth duration and rate. Ecdysone and juvenile hormone coordinately regulate insect development and metamorphosis and eventually determine insect growth duration; while insulin, nutrition, and cell-contact signals modulate cell division, growth, differentiation, and death, and eventually determine insect growth rate. It was recently reported that ecdysone and insulin signals crosstalk with each other to control insect body size. Fat body and nutritional metabolism are key players to integrate these two signals. Scientists shall synergize insect developmental biology and Drosophila genetics, focus on the two factors growth duration and rate, point out nutritional metabolism and fat body, for the research purpose of insect development and metamorphosis.