Canavoso L E, Jouni Z E, Karnas K J, Pennington J E, Wells M A
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.
Annu Rev Nutr. 2001;21:23-46. doi: 10.1146/annurev.nutr.21.1.23.
The study of fat metabolism in insects has received considerable attention over the years. Although by no means complete, there is a growing body of information about dietary lipid requirements, and the absolute requirement for sterol is of particular note. In this review we (a) summarize the state of understanding of the dietary requirements for the major lipids and (b) describe in detail the insect lipid transport system. Insects digest and absorb lipids similarly to vertebrates, but with some important differences. The hallmark of fat metabolism in insects centers on the lipid transport system. The major lipid transported is diacylglycerol, and it is carried by a high-density lipoprotein called lipophorin. Lipophorin is a reusable shuttle that picks up lipid from the gut and delivers it to tissues for storage or utilization without using the endocytic processes common to vertebrate cells. The mechanisms by which this occurs are not completely understood and offer fruitful areas for future research.
多年来，昆虫脂肪代谢的研究受到了相当多的关注。尽管远未完善，但关于膳食脂质需求的信息越来越多，其中对固醇的绝对需求尤为值得注意。在这篇综述中，我们（a）总结了对主要脂质膳食需求的理解现状，（b）详细描述了昆虫脂质转运系统。昆虫消化和吸收脂质的方式与脊椎动物相似，但存在一些重要差异。昆虫脂肪代谢的标志集中在脂质转运系统上。运输的主要脂质是二酰甘油，它由一种称为脂载蛋白的高密度脂蛋白携带。脂载蛋白是一种可重复使用的载体，它从肠道摄取脂质并将其输送到组织中进行储存或利用，而不使用脊椎动物细胞常见的内吞过程。这种情况发生的机制尚未完全了解，为未来的研究提供了富有成果的领域。
