Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 box 2465, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.
Cell Tissue Res. 2019 Sep;377(3):397-414. doi: 10.1007/s00441-019-03031-9. Epub 2019 Apr 29.
Insects are the most abundant and diverse class of animals on the planet. One explanation for their success is their extraordinary ability to successfully consume a wide range of foods. Like all heterotrophic organisms, insects need to acquire vital nutrients from their diet. The central organ for food digestion and absorption of nutrients is the gastrointestinal tract. This organ's principal functions are mediating the efficient digestion of the diet and protecting the organism against harmful chemicals, microorganisms, and mechanical damage from the food. These functions are achieved through regional differentiation of the alimentary canal as well as highly flexible adaptations to the consumed diets, both at anatomical and molecular levels. Numerous studies describing the general gut morphology and associated digestive mechanisms of various insects exist. Nevertheless, the molecular patterns underlying digestion and nutrient uptake in insects are still poorly characterized. This review aims to provide an overview of the general strategies of extracellular macronutrient digestion and consequent nutrient absorption found among different orders of insects.
昆虫是地球上最丰富和最多样化的动物类群。它们成功的原因之一是它们具有非凡的能力，可以成功地食用各种食物。与所有异养生物一样，昆虫需要从饮食中获取必需的营养物质。消化和吸收营养物质的中心器官是胃肠道。这个器官的主要功能是介导饮食的有效消化，并保护生物体免受有害化学物质、微生物和食物带来的机械损伤。这些功能是通过消化道的区域分化以及在解剖和分子水平上对所摄入的饮食进行高度灵活的适应来实现的。有许多描述各种昆虫的肠道形态和相关消化机制的研究。然而，昆虫消化和营养吸收的分子模式仍未得到很好的描述。本综述旨在概述不同目昆虫中发现的细胞外大分子营养物质消化和随后营养吸收的一般策略。
