Role of Allatostatins in Juvenile Hormone Synthesis in Insects and Crustaceans

• Published in: Annual review of entomology 2007-01, Vol.52 (1), p.277-299
• Main Authors: Stay, B, Tobe, S.S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: allatostatin; allatostatin receptors; Animals; Biochemistry. Physiology. Immunology; Biological and medical sciences; biosynthesis; corpora allata; Corpora Allata - metabolism; Crustacea; Crustacea - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins; farnesoic acid; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Insecta; Insecta - metabolism; insects; Invertebrates; juvenile hormones; Juvenile Hormones - antagonists & inhibitors; Juvenile Hormones - biosynthesis; literature reviews; mandibular glands; mandibular organs; methyl farnesoate; Neuropeptides - metabolism; physiological regulation; Physiology. Development; receptors; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Receptors, Neuropeptide; sesquiterpenoids
• ISSN: 0066-4170; 1545-4487
• DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ento.51.110104.151050

Allatostatins are pleiotropic neuropeptides for which one function in insects is the inhibition of juvenile hormone synthesis. Juvenile hormone, an important regulator of development and reproduction in insects, is produced by the corpora allata. Mandibular organs, the crustacean homologs of insect corpora allata, produce precursors of juvenile hormone with putatively similar functions. Three types of allatostatins in insects have been isolated: FGLamides, W(X)(6)Wamides, and PISCFs. All act rapidly and reversibly; however, although these types occur in all groups of insects studied, they act as inhibitors of juvenile hormone production in only some groups. Only the FGLamide-type peptides have been isolated in crustaceans, in which they may function to stimulate production of hormone by the mandibular glands, as occurs in early cockroach embryos. Much remains to be learned in order to understand the role of allatostatins in the modulation of hormone production.