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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Pest Management and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #297464
Title: Molecular mechanisms underlying insect behaviors: receptors, peptides, & biosynthetic pathways

Author
item Hull, Joe
item MATSUMOTO, SHOGO - Advance Science Institute, Riken

Submitted to: Frontiers in Endocrinology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/28/2013
Publication Date: 9/12/2013
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/58626
Citation: Hull, J.J., Matsumoto, S. 2013. Molecular mechanisms underlying insect behaviors: receptors, peptides, & biosynthetic pathways. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 4:120. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.201300120.

Interpretive Summary: Nearly every facet of an insect’s life, from growth and development to feeding and mating behaviors, are controlled by the detection and propagation of diverse chemical signals. Interactions between these chemical signals, which can be thought of as keys, and specific receptors, which function as locks for the various keys, trigger a series of events within cells that ultimately culminate in a biological response such as the initiation of feeding. Because of the critical importance these pathways have in insects, significant effort has been made to expand our knowledge (for both basic and applied purposes) of their function at the molecular and cellular levels. The original articles and reviews collected in this issue, which have been loosely grouped into three topics (receptors, signals, and intracellular pathways/mechanisms), highlight recent advances and developments in our understanding of how various chemical signals impact insect biology. Among the topics discussed are moth sex pheromone production, the role of prostaglandins and various peptides in multiple insects, the mechanisms underlying the synthesis and detection of ecdysteroids, and manipulation of host signaling pathways by Wolbachia.

Technical Abstract: Nearly every facet of an insect’s life, from growth and development to feeding and mating behaviors, are controlled by the detection and propagation of diverse chemical signals. Interactions between these chemical signals, which can be thought of as keys, and specific receptors, which function as locks for the various keys, trigger a series of events within cells that ultimately culminate in a biological response such as the initiation of feeding. Because of the critical importance these pathways have in insects, significant effort has been made to expand our knowledge (for both basic and applied purposes) of their function at the molecular and cellular levels. The original articles and reviews collected in this issue, which have been loosely grouped into three topics (receptors, signals, and intracellular pathways/mechanisms), highlight recent advances and developments in our understanding of how various chemical signals impact insect biology. Among the topics discussed are moth sex pheromone production, the role of prostaglandins and various peptides in multiple insects, the mechanisms underlying the synthesis and detection of ecdysteroids, and manipulation of host signaling pathways by Wolbachia.