Skip to main content
Dryad

Data from: Nutritional control of body size through FoxO-Ultraspiracle mediated ecdysone biosynthesis

Cite this dataset

Koyama, Takashi et al. (2015). Data from: Nutritional control of body size through FoxO-Ultraspiracle mediated ecdysone biosynthesis [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.75940

Abstract

Despite their fundamental importance for body size regulation, the mechanisms that stop growth are poorly understood. In Drosophila melanogaster, growth ceases in response to a peak of the molting hormone ecdysone that coincides with a nutrition-dependent checkpoint, critical weight. Previous studies indicate that insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS)/Target of Rapamycin (TOR) signaling in the prothoracic glands (PGs) regulates ecdysone biosynthesis and critical weight. Here we elucidate a mechanism through which this occurs. We show that Forkhead Box class O (FoxO), a negative regulator of IIS/TOR, directly interacts with Ultraspiracle (Usp), part of the ecdysone receptor. While overexpressing FoxO in the PGs delays ecdysone biosynthesis and critical weight, disrupting FoxO–Usp binding reduces these delays. Further, feeding ecdysone to larvae eliminates the effects of critical weight. Thus, nutrition controls ecdysone biosynthesis partially via FoxO–Usp prior to critical weight, ensuring that growth only stops once larvae have achieved a target nutritional status.

Usage notes

Location

USA
Illinois
Lake Forest
Lansing
Portugal
Oeiras
Michigan