Abstract:As revealed over the past twenty years, the insulin signaling cascade plays a central role in regulating immune and oxidative stress responses that affect the life spans of mammals and two model invertebrates, the nematode Caenorhabitis elegans and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. In mosquitoes, insulin signaling regulates key steps in egg maturation and immunity and likely affects aging, although the latter has yet to be examined in detail. Reproduction, immunity and aging critically influence the capac… Show more
“…Our results with insulin are consistent with the prediction from numerous studies on lifespan extension in model organisms that enhanced insulin signaling would lead to a shortened lifespan (reviewed in Giannakou and Partridge, 2007;Luckhart and Riehle, 2007). For example, mutations in daf-16, which mimic exclusion of this transcription factor from the nucleus during insulin signaling, shorten lifespan in C. elegans (Ogg et al, 1997).…”
SUMMARYObservations from nematodes to mammals indicate that insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) regulates lifespan. As in other organisms, IIS is conserved in mosquitoes and signaling occurs in multiple tissues. During bloodfeeding, mosquitoes ingest human insulin. This simple observation suggested that exogenous insulin could mimic the endogenous hormonal control of aging in mosquitoes, providing a new model to examine this phenomenon at the organismal and cellular levels. To this end, female Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes were maintained on diets containing human insulin provided daily in sucrose or three times weekly by artificial bloodmeal. Regardless of delivery route, mosquitoes provided with insulin at 1.7ϫ10 -4 and 1.7ϫ10 -3 ·mol·l -1 , doses 0.3-fold and 3.0-fold higher than non-fasting blood levels, died at a faster rate than controls. In mammals, IIS induces the synthesis of reactive oxygen species and downregulates antioxidants, events that increase oxidative stress and that have been associated with reduced lifespan. Insulin treatment of mosquito cells in vitro induced hydrogen peroxide synthesis while dietary supplementation reduced total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and manganese SOD activity relative to controls. The effects of insulin on mortality were reversed when diets were supplemented with manganese (III) tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin (MnTBAP), a cell-permeable SOD mimetic agent, suggesting that insulin-induced mortality was due to oxidative stress. In addition, dietary insulin activated Akt/protein kinase B and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the mosquito midgut, suggesting that, as observed in Caenorhabditis elegans, the midgut may act as a ʻsignaling centerʼ for mosquito aging.
“…Our results with insulin are consistent with the prediction from numerous studies on lifespan extension in model organisms that enhanced insulin signaling would lead to a shortened lifespan (reviewed in Giannakou and Partridge, 2007;Luckhart and Riehle, 2007). For example, mutations in daf-16, which mimic exclusion of this transcription factor from the nucleus during insulin signaling, shorten lifespan in C. elegans (Ogg et al, 1997).…”
SUMMARYObservations from nematodes to mammals indicate that insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) regulates lifespan. As in other organisms, IIS is conserved in mosquitoes and signaling occurs in multiple tissues. During bloodfeeding, mosquitoes ingest human insulin. This simple observation suggested that exogenous insulin could mimic the endogenous hormonal control of aging in mosquitoes, providing a new model to examine this phenomenon at the organismal and cellular levels. To this end, female Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes were maintained on diets containing human insulin provided daily in sucrose or three times weekly by artificial bloodmeal. Regardless of delivery route, mosquitoes provided with insulin at 1.7ϫ10 -4 and 1.7ϫ10 -3 ·mol·l -1 , doses 0.3-fold and 3.0-fold higher than non-fasting blood levels, died at a faster rate than controls. In mammals, IIS induces the synthesis of reactive oxygen species and downregulates antioxidants, events that increase oxidative stress and that have been associated with reduced lifespan. Insulin treatment of mosquito cells in vitro induced hydrogen peroxide synthesis while dietary supplementation reduced total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and manganese SOD activity relative to controls. The effects of insulin on mortality were reversed when diets were supplemented with manganese (III) tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin (MnTBAP), a cell-permeable SOD mimetic agent, suggesting that insulin-induced mortality was due to oxidative stress. In addition, dietary insulin activated Akt/protein kinase B and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the mosquito midgut, suggesting that, as observed in Caenorhabditis elegans, the midgut may act as a ʻsignaling centerʼ for mosquito aging.
“…The most vulnerable point of the malaria parasite life cycle is the transition from the human blood stream to the mosquito midgut. During this transition, hormones, growth factors and cytokines in infected blood can regulate aspects of mosquito physiology and lifespan that directly affect parasite development (Kang et al, 2008;Luckhart et al, 2003;Luckhart and Riehle, 2007;Pakpour et al, 2012;Surachetpong et al, 2009;Surachetpong et al, 2011).…”
SUMMARYThe highly conserved insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling (IIS) pathway regulates metabolism, development, lifespan and immunity across a wide range of organisms. Previous studies have shown that human insulin ingested in the blood meal can activate mosquito IIS, resulting in attenuated lifespan and increased malaria parasite infection. Because human IGF1 is present at higher concentrations in blood than insulin and is functionally linked with lifespan and immune processes, we predicted that human IGF1 ingested in a blood meal would affect lifespan and malaria parasite infection in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi. Here we demonstrate that physiological levels of ingested IGF1, like insulin, can persist intact in the blood-filled midgut for up to 30h and disseminate into the mosquito body, and that both peptides activate IIS in mosquito cells and midgut. At these same levels, ingested IGF1 alone extended average mosquito lifespan by 23% compared with controls and, more significantly, when ingested in infected blood meals, reduced the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum-infected mosquitoes by >20% and parasite load by 35-50% compared with controls. Thus, the effects of ingested IGF1 on mosquito lifespan and immunity are opposite to those of ingested insulin. These results offer the first evidence that insect cells can functionally discriminate between mammalian insulin and IGF1. Further, in light of previous success in genetically targeting IIS to alter mosquito lifespan and malaria parasite transmission, this study indicates that a more complete understanding of the IIS-activating ligands in blood can be used to optimize transgenic strategies for malaria control.
“…In addition, while insulins are canonical activators of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) activity, some ligands in C. elegans may act as antagonists of IIS [reviewed in (20)]. For mosquitoes, eight ILPs have been identified (21) and functional studies indicate roles for different ILPs in egg laying, diapause, immunity, and metabolism (22)(23)(24). The ILPS are thought to be secreted proteins (25,26), as are mammalian insulin and IGFs (2).…”
Insulin/Insulin-like growth factor signaling regulates homeostasis and growth in mammals, and is implicated in diseases from diabetes to cancer. In Drosophila melanogaster, as in other invertebrates, multiple Insulin-Like Peptides (DILPs) are encoded by a family of related genes. To assess DILPs' physiological roles, we generated small deficiencies that uncover single or multiple dilps, generating genetic loss-of-function mutations. Deletion of dilps1-5 generated homozygotes that are small, severely growth-delayed, and poorly viable and fertile. These animals display reduced metabolic activity, decreased triglyceride levels and prematurely activate autophagy, indicative of ''starvation in the midst of plenty,'' a hallmark of Type I diabetes. Furthermore, circulating sugar levels are elevated in Df [dilp1-5] homozygotes during eating and fasting. In contrast, Df[dilp6] or Df[dilp7] animals showed no major metabolic defects. We discuss physiological differences between mammals and insects that may explain the unexpected survival of lean, 'diabetic' flies.diabetes ͉ DILP ͉ Drosophila insulin receptor ͉ insect physiology ͉ trehalose
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