STUDY OF LIPID METABOLISM IN INSECTS

这项研究的长期目标是定义脂质 昆虫的动员、运输和新陈代谢 描述参与形成的生化过程的特征 虫卵。这些研究与人类健康的关系是 两个对折。第一，动员、运输和 昆虫体内的脂类代谢与 哺乳动物和无脊椎动物模型的研究可以提供新的 对哺乳动物过程的洞察。第二，详细研究 昆虫的产卵和脂肪代谢可以提示新的 适用于昆虫的昆虫控制的一般方法 传播疾病的媒介。 利用烟草天牛Manduca sexta，我们将研究脂质 体外脂肪体系统中的动员。涉及的因素 动员(脂蛋白、载脂蛋白、脂转移因子、 脂肪运动激素)将通过改变它们的结构来定义 和脂类成分。将脂类特定地输送到不同的 周围组织，尤指飞行肌肉和前胸腺 (类固醇激素合成部位)也将在体外进行研究。 参与特定脂类递送的因素(例如二酰甘油 飞行肌肉，胆固醇到前胸腺)将是 被定义和描述的。 卵巢中的内分泌受体，负责 选择特定的血淋巴蛋白并将其内化在 卵母细胞将被分离、鉴定、克隆和测序。这 应提供有关膜的进化和多样性的信息 感受器。特定的抑制物(抗体、多肽) 将获得内吞作用并用于生产缺乏的鸡蛋 以确定这些蛋白的功能 胚胎发育中的物质。

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.