Neuronal Regulation of Energy Homeostasis in Drosophila: A Practical Approach
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
- ↵1 Correspondence: tania.reis{at}cuanschutz.edu
Abstract
Energy homeostasis at the organismal level requires signaling between different cell types, tissues, and organs to coordinate energy uptake and expenditure. The larval stage of Drosophila development provides a powerful model to study the mechanisms at play. Among the various sources of signals that control fat storage in the fat body, the brain has been studied primarily as a regulator of relevant behaviors such as feeding and exercise. Here, I briefly review what is known about a brain–fat-body axis for communication in the context of energy homeostasis in Drosophila larvae and introduce a protocol for rapidly identifying changes in body fat resulting from manipulation of gene or neuronal function.
Footnotes
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From the Drosophila Neurobiology collection, edited by Bing Zhang, Ellie Heckscher, Alex C. Keene, and Scott Waddell.
