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Do insects really have a homeostatic hypotrehalosaemic hormone?
Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
|November 1, 1989
Summary
Insect trehalose regulation differs from mammals, suggesting no need for a hypotrehalosaemic hormone. Studies indicate trehalose is metabolized, not regulated by such a hormone, questioning its existence in insects.
Area of Science:
- Insect physiology
- Endocrinology
- Metabolic regulation
Background:
- Trehalose, a key insect hemolymph sugar, is synthesized internally, unlike mammalian glucose.
- Insect trehalose levels do not significantly increase during stress or flight despite increased synthesis.
- Existing evidence for insect hypotrehalosaemic hormones is inconclusive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physiological necessity and existence of homeostatic hypotrehalosaemic hormones in insects.
- To evaluate experimental evidence suggesting the presence of such hormones.
- To assess the role of an isolated insulin-like peptide in blowflies.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of trehalose synthesis and hemolymph concentration dynamics.
- Review of experiments involving tissue extractions and their effect on hemolymph trehalose.
- Evaluation of trehalose tolerance tests across insect species.
- Examination of the proposed mechanism for insulin-like peptides acting as hypotrehalosaemic hormones.
Main Results:
- Insect hemolymph trehalose concentrations decrease at rates consistent with metabolic utilization, not hormonal regulation.
- Tissue extractions lowering hemolymph trehalose do not confirm a homeostatic hormone.
- An isolated insulin-like peptide in blowflies is unlikely to function as a hypotrehalosaemic hormone due to physiological implausibility.
Conclusions:
- Homeostatic hypotrehalosaemic hormones have not been demonstrated in insects.
- The physiological evidence suggests such hormones may not exist in insects.
- Trehalose regulation in insects appears to be primarily metabolic.