Abstract

Bombyxin-II, an insulin-like peptide of the silkmoth Bombyx mori, has been shown to reduce both the trehalose concentration in the hemolymph and the glycogen content in some tissues of B. mori larvae. However, little is known about how these storage carbohydrates are utilized. To address this question, the effects of bombyxin-II injection into Bombyx larvae on the tissue lipid level, respiration rate, and glycolytic activity of tissues were investigated. Bombyxin-II did not affect lipid accumulation in the hemolymph and fat body, while it increased the rate of oxygen consumption and increased the content of fructose 2, 6-bisphosphate, a potent activator of glycolysis, in the gonads, imaginal discs, and midgut. These results suggest that bombyxin facilitates cellular energy production thereby supporting the tissue growth of insects.

Highlights

  • Recent studies on insect insulin-like peptides (ILPs) have revealed that these peptides play important roles in the regulation of growth and development, metabolism, reproduction, as well as aging [1, 4, 5]

  • The effect of ILPs on lipid metabolism seems to differ between insect species. These results suggested that insect ILPs regulate carbohydrate metabolism as does insulin, but the mechanisms and implications of the metabolic regulation by insulin/ILP may differ between mammals and insects, and even among various insect species

  • We investigate how the storage carbohydrates are utilized under the control of bombyxin in B. mori larvae with the aim of understanding the significance of metabolic effects of ILPs in insects

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Summary

Introduction

Recent studies on insect insulin-like peptides (ILPs) have revealed that these peptides play important roles in the regulation of growth and development, metabolism, reproduction, as well as aging [1, 4, 5]. An aliquot of the same fat body homogenate used for lipid determination was diluted with the same volume of distilled water and centrifuged at 14,000 × g for 10 min.

Results
Conclusion
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