Adipokinetic Hormones and Their Receptor Regulate the Locomotor Behavior in <i>Tribolium castaneum</i>
The regulation of locomotor behavior is essential for insects to perform their life activities. The central nervous system plays a pivotal role in modulating physiological behaviors, particularly movement, with neuropeptides serving as key modulators of these processes. Among these, adipokinetic hor...
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2025-04-01
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| author | Rui-Han Lu Xu-Dong Pang Shuang-Qin Wen Guy Smagghe Tong-Xian Liu Shun-Hua Gui |
| author_facet | Rui-Han Lu Xu-Dong Pang Shuang-Qin Wen Guy Smagghe Tong-Xian Liu Shun-Hua Gui |
| author_sort | Rui-Han Lu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The regulation of locomotor behavior is essential for insects to perform their life activities. The central nervous system plays a pivotal role in modulating physiological behaviors, particularly movement, with neuropeptides serving as key modulators of these processes. Among these, adipokinetic hormone (AKH) was originally identified in insects as a neurohormone involved in lipid mobilization. This study investigates the functional role of AKHs (AKH1 and AKH2) and their receptor (AKHR) in regulating locomotion in the red flour beetle, <i>Tribolium castaneum</i>. Using functional calcium reporter assays, we demonstrated that AKHR is activated by two mature AKH peptides from <i>T. castaneum</i>, with half-maximal effective concentrations (EC<sub>50</sub>) falling within the nanomolar range. Gene expression analysis confirmed the presence of <i>AKH1</i> and <i>AKH2</i> transcripts in the brain, while <i>AKHR</i> expression was localized to the fat body and carcass. The silencing of <i>AKHs</i> or <i>AKHR</i> through RNA interference resulted in a significant reduction in both movement distance and duration. Collectively, these findings highlight the regulatory influence of AKH/AKHR signaling in locomotor activity in <i>T. castaneum</i>, thereby advancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying locomotor control in this economically important insect species. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-26607cc2255e4df599442b0c59ed3374 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-26607cc2255e4df599442b0c59ed33742025-08-20T03:13:49ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502025-04-0116440710.3390/insects16040407Adipokinetic Hormones and Their Receptor Regulate the Locomotor Behavior in <i>Tribolium castaneum</i>Rui-Han Lu0Xu-Dong Pang1Shuang-Qin Wen2Guy Smagghe3Tong-Xian Liu4Shun-Hua Gui5Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaGuizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaGuizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaGuizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaGuizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaGuizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaThe regulation of locomotor behavior is essential for insects to perform their life activities. The central nervous system plays a pivotal role in modulating physiological behaviors, particularly movement, with neuropeptides serving as key modulators of these processes. Among these, adipokinetic hormone (AKH) was originally identified in insects as a neurohormone involved in lipid mobilization. This study investigates the functional role of AKHs (AKH1 and AKH2) and their receptor (AKHR) in regulating locomotion in the red flour beetle, <i>Tribolium castaneum</i>. Using functional calcium reporter assays, we demonstrated that AKHR is activated by two mature AKH peptides from <i>T. castaneum</i>, with half-maximal effective concentrations (EC<sub>50</sub>) falling within the nanomolar range. Gene expression analysis confirmed the presence of <i>AKH1</i> and <i>AKH2</i> transcripts in the brain, while <i>AKHR</i> expression was localized to the fat body and carcass. The silencing of <i>AKHs</i> or <i>AKHR</i> through RNA interference resulted in a significant reduction in both movement distance and duration. Collectively, these findings highlight the regulatory influence of AKH/AKHR signaling in locomotor activity in <i>T. castaneum</i>, thereby advancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying locomotor control in this economically important insect species.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/4/407neuropeptideRNAilocomotor behaviorred flour beetle |
| spellingShingle | Rui-Han Lu Xu-Dong Pang Shuang-Qin Wen Guy Smagghe Tong-Xian Liu Shun-Hua Gui Adipokinetic Hormones and Their Receptor Regulate the Locomotor Behavior in <i>Tribolium castaneum</i> Insects neuropeptide RNAi locomotor behavior red flour beetle |
| title | Adipokinetic Hormones and Their Receptor Regulate the Locomotor Behavior in <i>Tribolium castaneum</i> |
| title_full | Adipokinetic Hormones and Their Receptor Regulate the Locomotor Behavior in <i>Tribolium castaneum</i> |
| title_fullStr | Adipokinetic Hormones and Their Receptor Regulate the Locomotor Behavior in <i>Tribolium castaneum</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adipokinetic Hormones and Their Receptor Regulate the Locomotor Behavior in <i>Tribolium castaneum</i> |
| title_short | Adipokinetic Hormones and Their Receptor Regulate the Locomotor Behavior in <i>Tribolium castaneum</i> |
| title_sort | adipokinetic hormones and their receptor regulate the locomotor behavior in i tribolium castaneum i |
| topic | neuropeptide RNAi locomotor behavior red flour beetle |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/4/407 |
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