Wu Qi, Brown Mark R
Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens.
Annu Rev Entomol. 2006;51:1-24. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ento.51.110104.151011.
Insulin-like peptides (ILPs) exist in insects and are encoded by multigene families that are expressed in the brain and other tissues. Upon secretion, these peptides likely serve as hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors, but to date, few direct functions have been demonstrated. In Drosophila melanogaster, molecular genetic studies have revealed elements of a conserved insulin signaling pathway, and as in other animal models, it appears to play a key role in metabolism, growth, reproduction, and aging. This review offers (a) an integrated summary of the efforts to characterize the distribution of ILPs in insects and to define this pathway and its functions in Drosophila and (b) a few considerations for future studies of ILP endocrinology in insects.
胰岛素样肽（ILPs）存在于昆虫体内，由在大脑和其他组织中表达的多基因家族编码。分泌后，这些肽可能充当激素、神经递质和生长因子，但迄今为止，几乎没有直接功能得到证实。在黑腹果蝇中，分子遗传学研究揭示了保守的胰岛素信号通路的组成部分，并且与其他动物模型一样，它似乎在代谢、生长、繁殖和衰老中起关键作用。本综述提供了（a）对表征昆虫中ILPs分布以及定义该通路及其在果蝇中的功能的研究工作的综合总结，以及（b）对昆虫ILP内分泌学未来研究的一些思考。
