Vertebrate insulin alters the expression profile of steroid hormone ecdysone receptor complex components and autophagy-related genes in the pupal fat body of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Abstract

Various studies have shown that the insulin-like peptides present in insects and investigation of their possible effects on insect physiology have significance for clarifying the evolutionary developmental period of insulin. The insect fat body is an organ analog to vertebrate adipose tissue and liver. In insects which do not have feeding activity during pupal and adult stages such as Bombyx mori, substances and energy required for continuation of life and development of tissues and organs are provided by the fat body via the autophagy process. In this study, we aimed to analyze the action of mammalian insulin in Bombyx pupae by studying its effects on physiological parameters, and the transcript levels of both ecdysone receptors and autophagy-related genes Atg8 and Atg 12. Our results showed that the biochemical contents of the Bombyx mori fat body and the expression of genes related to autophagy and ecdysone receptor complex elements responded differently to insulin treatment depending on the application time.