Control of the insect metamorphic transition by ecdysteroid production and secretion.

Xueyang Pan, Robert P Connacher, Michael B O'Connor

Current opinion in insect science 2021 Feb

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Ecdysteroids are a class of steroid hormones that controls molting and metamorphic transitions in Ecdysozoan species including insects, in which ecdysteroid biosynthesis and its regulation have been extensively studied. Insect ecdysteroids are produced from dietary sterols by a series of reduction-oxidation reactions in the prothoracic gland and in Drosophila they are released into the hemolymph via vesicle-mediated secretion at the time of metamorphosis. To initiate precisely controlled ecdysteroid pulses, the prothoracic gland functions as a central node integrating both intrinsic and extrinsic signals to control ecdysteroid biosynthesis and secretion. In this review, we outline recent progress in the characterization of ecdysone biosynthesis and steroid trafficking pathways and the discoveries of novel factors regulating prothoracic gland function. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

Xueyang Pan, Robert P Connacher, Michael B O'Connor. Control of the insect metamorphic transition by ecdysteroid production and secretion. Current opinion in insect science. 2021 Feb;43:11-20