Role of adipokinetic hormone and adenosine in the anti-stress response in Drosophila melanogaster

• Published in: Journal of insect physiology 2016-08, Vol.91-92, p.39-47
• Main Authors: Zemanova, Milada, Staskova, Tereza, Kodrik, Dalibor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine; Adenosine - metabolism; AKH; Animals; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - drug effects; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - growth & development; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; Insect Hormones - metabolism; Insect Hormones - physiology; Insecticides - toxicity; Larva - drug effects; Larva - genetics; Larva - growth & development; Larva - physiology; Male; Mutation; Oligopeptides - metabolism; Oligopeptides - physiology; Oxidative Stress; Paraquat; Paraquat - toxicity; Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid - analogs & derivatives; Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid - metabolism; Stress
• ISSN: 0022-1910; 1879-1611
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.06.010

[Display omitted] •AKH and adenosine control stress response in Drosophila.•Both agents react oppositely in control of starvation stress.•Both agents might co-operate in control of some antioxidative stress responses.•Possible co-operation has been found in control of GST and GSH characteristics.•Mechanism of the overlapping pathways seems to be complicated and remains unclear. The role of adipokinetic hormone (AKH) and adenosine in the anti-stress response was studied in Drosophila melanogaster larvae and adults carrying a mutation in the Akh gene (Akh1), the adenosine receptor gene (AdoR1), or in both of these genes (Akh1 AdoR1 double mutant). Stress was induced by starvation or by the addition of an oxidative stressor paraquat (PQ) to food. Mortality tests revealed that the Akh1 mutant was the most resistant to starvation, while the AdoR1 mutant was the most sensitive. Conversely, the Akh1 AdoR1 double mutant was more sensitive to PQ toxicity than either of the single mutants. Administration of PQ significantly increased the Drome-AKH level in w1118 and AdoR1 larvae; however, this was not accompanied by a simultaneous increase in Akh gene expression. In contrast, PQ significantly increased the expression of the glutathione S-transferase D1 (GstD1) gene. The presence of both a functional adenosine receptor and AKH seem to be important for the proper control of GstD1 gene expression under oxidative stress, however, the latter appears to play more dominant role. On the other hand, differences in glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity among the strains, and between untreated and PQ-treated groups were minimal. In addition, the glutathione level was significantly lower in all untreated AKH- or AdoR-deficient mutant flies as compared with the untreated control w1118 flies and further declined following treatment with PQ. All oxidative stress characteristics modified by mutations in Akh gene were restored or even improved by ‘rescue’ mutation in flies which ectopically express Akh. Thus, the results of the present study demonstrate the important roles of AKH and adenosine in the anti-stress response elicited by PQ in a D. melanogaster model, and provide the first evidence for the involvement of adenosine in the anti-oxidative stress response in insects.