Obesity-linked genes' regulation in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract: There are several serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity in this modern world. Insects are mostly used to investigate the functions of neuropeptides in regulation of feeding behavior and starvation. In D. melanogaster the regulation of Twz, TfAp2, Hmgcr and G9a were significantly affected by different periods of starvation. The expression of Twz and TfAP-2 in adult flies controls the secretion and production of octopamine that regulates the function of Drosulfakinin (DSK) and Drosophila cholecystokinin (CCK). In D. melanogaster Hmgcr is produced in the pars intercerbralis (PI) region of the brain and was supposed to regulate feeding behavior but the regulation of feeding was not affected either by Hmgcr nor G9a on different nutrient condition. Hmgcr catalyzes the production of mevalonate; the precursors of juvenile hormone (JH) component.