Insect UDP-glycosyltransferases and xenobiotic metabolism

UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are a superfamily of enzymes ubiquitously found in virtually all organisms. They catalyze the addition of sugars from UDP-sugar donors that greatly enhance the water solubility of molecules, facilitating excretion. There are 10-76 Ugts in different insect species, and the last decade has seen a remarkable increase in studies of these genes, particularly their roles in xenobiotic detoxification. This review focuses on 39 studies in insects and mites, across >20 species which have demonstrated xenobiotic metabolism associated with one or more specific UGTs, and includes more than 30 xenobiotics as potential substrates. From these studies interesting patterns were observed, such as the relatively modest phenotypes generated by RNAi. A summary of these studies, data gaps and important areas for future research are discussed.