The result: when Drosophila starts to fly or stroll, its insulin-producing cells are immediately inhibited y. When the fly stops moving, the activity of the cells rapidly increases again and soars above regular levels.
” We hypothesize that the low activity of insulin-producing cells during strolling and flight contributes to the provision of sugars to fulfill the increased energy need,” says Dr. Sander Liessem, first author of the publication. “We think that the increased activity after exercise assists to replenish the flys energy stores, for example in the muscles.”
Blood sugar level plays no role in policy
The JMU team was likewise able to show that the quick, behavior-dependent inhibition of insulin-producing cells is actively controlled by neural paths. “It is mainly independent of modifications in the sugar concentration in the flys blood,” explains co-author Dr. Martina Held.
It makes a great deal of sense for the organism to prepare for an increased energy demand in this way to prevent severe fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
Insulin has actually hardly changed in evolution
Do the outcomes permit conclusions to be drawn about people? Most likely.
” Although the release of insulin in fruit flies is mediated by different cells than in people, the insulin particle and its function have barely changed in the course of development,” says Jan Ache. In the previous 20 years, using Drosophila as a design organism, many fundamental questions have currently been answered that could likewise contribute to a much better understanding of metabolic flaws in human beings and involved illness, such as diabetes or obesity.
Less insulin suggests longevity
” One interesting point is that decreased insulin activity contributes to healthy aging and durability,” Sander Liessem informs us. “Our work reveals a possible link explaining how physical activity might positively impact insulin policy via neuronal signaling pathways.”
Additional actions in the research study
Next, Jan Aches team prepares to investigate which neurotransmitters and neuronal circuits are accountable for the activity modifications observed in insulin-producing cells in the fly. This is most likely going to be tough: A variety of messenger compounds and hormones are involved in neuromodulatory processes, and specific substances can have complementary or opposite results in combination.
The group is now evaluating the many methods in which insulin-producing cells procedure input from the exterior. They are likewise investigating other aspects that might have an influence on the activity of these cells, for instance, the age of the fly or their nutritional state.
” In parallel, we are investigating the neuronal control of strolling and flight habits,” discusses Jan Ache. The long-term goal of his group, he states, is to bring these two research questions together: How does the brain control strolling and other habits, and how does the nerve system ensure that the energy balance is managed accordingly?
Referral: “Behavioral state-dependent modulation of insulin-producing cells in Drosophila” by Sander Liessem, Martina Held, Rituja S. Bisen, Hannah Haberkern, Haluk Lacin, Till Bockemühl and Jan M. Ache, 28 December 2022, Current Biology.DOI: 10.1016/ j.cub.2022.12.005.
Insulin is a hormonal agent produced by the pancreas that manages blood sugar levels in the body. A brand-new research study performed by the University of Würzburg recommends that exercise might suppress the production of this hormone.
Insulin is an essential hormonal agent that plays a crucial role in controling sugar metabolic process in human beings and other organisms. The mechanisms by which it performs this task are well comprehended. Nevertheless, less is learnt about the control of insulin-secreting cells and the resulting insulin secretion.
Researchers from the Biocenter of Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg in Germany have actually made brand-new discoveries about the control of insulin secretion in their current study released in Current Biology. The group, led by Dr. Jan Ache, utilized the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Interestingly, this fly likewise launches insulin after eating, however unlike people, the hormonal agent is not produced by pancreas cells, however rather by afferent neuron in the brain.
The figure reveals the relationship between the movement and guideline of insulin-producing cells in the fruit fly. Credit: Sander Liessem/ University of Wuerzburg
Electrophysiological measurements in active flies
The JMU group determined that the exercise of the fly has a strong impact on its insulin-producing cells. For the first time, the researchers measured the activity of these cells electrophysiologically in strolling and flying Drosophila.
Insulin is an essential hormonal agent that plays an important role in controling sugar metabolic process in humans and other organisms. Less is known about the control of insulin-secreting cells and the resulting insulin secretion.
The team, led by Dr. Jan Ache, utilized the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a design organism. Remarkably, this fly also launches insulin after eating, however unlike humans, the hormone is not produced by pancreas cells, however rather by nerve cells in the brain.
” One amazing point is that decreased insulin activity contributes to healthy aging and durability,” Sander Liessem tells us.