The intrinsic nutrient sensing adipokinetic hormone producing cells function in modulation of metabolism, activity and stress

Jonathan M. Nelson, Cecil J. Saunders, Erik C. Johnson

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

All organisms confront the challenges of maintaining metabolic homeostasis in light of both variabilities in nutrient supplies and energetic costs of different physiologies and behaviors. While all cells are nutrient sensitive, only relative few cells within Metazoans are nutrient sensing cells. Nutrient sensing cells organize systemic behavioral and physiological responses to changing metabolic states. One group of cells present in the arthropods, is the adipokinetic hormone producing cells (APCs). APCs possess intrinsic nutrient sensors and receive contextual information regard-ing metabolic state through other endocrine connections. APCs express receptors for different hormones which modulate APC physiology and the secretion of the adipokinetic hormone (AKH). APCs are functionally similar to alpha cells in the mammalian pancreas and display a similar physiological organization. AKH release results in both hypertrehalosemia and hyperlipidemia through high affinity binding to the AKH receptor (AKHR). Another hallmark of AKH signaling is height-ened locomotor activity, which accompanies starvation and is thought to enhance foraging. In this review, we discuss mechanisms of nutrient sensing and modulation of AKH release. Additionally, we compare the organization of AKH/AKHR signaling in different taxa. Lastly, we consider the signals that APCs integrate as well as recent experimental results that have expanded the functional repertoire of AKH signaling, further establishing this as both a metabolic and stress hormone.

Original languageEnglish
Article number7515
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume22
Issue number14
DOIs
StatePublished - 2 Jul 2021

Keywords

  • Adipokinetic hormone
  • AMP‐activated protein kinase
  • ATP‐gated potassium channels
  • Metabolism
  • Nutrient sensing

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