STUDY OF LIPID METABOLISM IN INSECTS

本研究的长期目标是确定脂质 动员、运输和代谢， 表征参与形成的生物化学过程， 昆虫卵 这些研究与人类健康的关系是 两折。 第一，动员、运输和 昆虫的脂类代谢与 哺乳动物，无脊椎动物模型的研究可以提供新的 深入了解哺乳动物的活动过程 第二，详细研究 昆虫的产卵和脂质代谢可以表明新的 适用于昆虫的一般昆虫控制方法 疾病的载体。 利用烟草天蛾Manduca sexta，我们将研究脂质 在体外脂肪体系统中的动员。 所涉及的因素 动员（脂蛋白，脱辅基蛋白，脂质转移因子， 脂肪运动激素）将通过改变它们的结构来定义 和脂质组成。 将脂质特异性递送至不同的 外周组织，特别是飞行肌和前胸腺 (site类固醇激素合成）也将在体外进行研究。 参与特定脂质递送的因素（如甘油二酯 飞行肌肉，胆固醇到前胸腺）将是 定义和特征。 卵巢中的内吞受体负责 选择特定的血淋巴蛋白质并将其内化到 将卵母细胞分离、表征、克隆和测序。 这 应提供关于膜演变和多样性的信息 受体。 特异性抑制剂（抗体，肽） 将获得内吞作用并用于产生缺乏 为了确定这些蛋白质的功能， 发育中的胚胎。

The long-term objectives of this study are to define lipid mobilization, transport and metabolism in insects and to characterize the biochemical processes involved in formation of the insect egg. The relationship of these studies to human health is two fold. First, the processes of mobilization, transport and metabolism of lipids in insects has direct counterpoints in mammals, and study in the invertebrate animal model can provide new insight into the mammalian processes. Second, detailed studies of egg production and lipid metabolism in insects can suggest new general methods of insect control that will be applicable to insect vectors of disease. Using the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, we will study lipid mobilization in an in vitro fat body system. Factors involved in mobilization (lipoproteins, apoproteins, lipid transfer factor, adipokinetic hormone) will be defined by varying their structure and lipid composition. Specific delivery of lipids to different peripheral tissue, especially flight muscle and prothoracic glands (site of steroid hormone synthesis) will also be studied in vitro. Factors involved in specific lipid delivery (e.g. diacylglycerol to flight muscle, cholesterol to prothoracic glands) will be defined and characterized. Endocytotic receptors in the ovary that are responsible for selecting specific hemolymph proteins and internalizing them in the oocyte will be isolated, characterized, cloned and sequenced. This should provide information on evolution and diversity of membrane receptors. Specific inhibitors (antibodies, peptides) of endocytosis will be obtained and used to produce eggs lacking specific proteins in order to determine the function of these materials in developing embryos.