DINeR

A Database for Insect Neuropeptide Research

Search the database for information about the various species and neuropeptides of interest

Insect Neuropeptides - Limostatin

Introduction

Limostatin was detected in Drosophila in a genetic screen for factors suppressing production and secretion of insulin-like peptides, DILPs (Alfa et al., 2015). This peptide, encoded on the precursor CG8317, consists of 15 residues with the sequence AIVFRPLFVYKQQEIamide. Lst encoding genes were identified in a number of Drosophila species and in the mosquitos Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti (Alfa et al., 2015). The Lst receptor, CG9918, is related to the neuromedin U receptor in vertebrates. This receptor was originally characterized as a pyrokinin (Capability-PK) receptor (PK1-R) in Drosophila (Cazzamali et al., 2005), and now it appears to be shared with Lst.

Location

In Drosophila the Lst gene is expressed in the fat body and in the AKH producing endocrine cells of the corpora cardiaca, and its production is increased during fasting (Alfa et al., 2015). According to FlyAtlas, Lst is highly enriched in fat body, heart, spermatheca and carcass in the adult, and in the larval fat body. The Lst receptor is expressed on the insulin-producing cells (IPCs) in the brain (Alfa et al., 2015).

Function

The expression of Lst is regulated by carbohydrate, but not protein, diet after a period of starvation (Alfa et al., 2015). Application of synthetic Lst attenuated Ca2+ in IPCs and thus depressed release of DILPs. Genetic knockdown of the receptor produced a phenotype similar to Lst mutant flies, or that seen after Lst knockdown in AKH cells (Alfa et al., 2015). Thus, Lst is one of several peptides that regulate production and release of DILPs in Drosophila (Alfa and Kim, 2016; Nässel and Vanden Broeck, 2016). Its function in mosquitos has not yet been studied.

SeqLogo and Cladogram

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Suggested Reviews

  • Alfa, R.W., and Kim, S.K. (2016). Using Drosophila to discover mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes. Disease models & mechanisms 9, 365-376.
    View Review
  • Nässel, D.R., and Vanden Broeck, J. (2016). Insulin/IGF signalling in Drosophila and other insects: factors that regulate production, release and post-release action of the insulin-like peptides. Cell Mol Life Sci 73, 271-290
    View Review

References

  • Alfa, R.W., Park, S., Skelly, K.R., Poffenberger, G., Jain, N., Gu, X., Kockel, L., Wang, J., Liu, Y., Powers, A.C., and Kim, S.K. (2015). Suppression of insulin production and secretion by a decretin hormone. Cell metabolism 21, 323-333.
  • Cazzamali, G., Torp, M., Hauser, F., Williamson, M., and Grimmelikhuijzen, C.J. (2005). The Drosophila gene CG9918 codes for a pyrokinin-1 receptor. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 335, 14-19.