Abstract
Ecdysteroids are widely found in terrestrial organisms, including insects, crustaceans, fungi, and plants. The function of ecdysteroids has been extensively studied in insects for decades because ecdysteroids regulate metamorphosis. In plants, in contrast, ecdysteroids (called phytoecdysteroids) do not show apparent hormonal activity and their function remains unclear. However, it has been proposed that phytoecdysteroids have an antifeedant function. Ecdysteroid ingestion disrupts insect development and alters behavior to deter insect feeding, resulting in reduced plant damage by the insect. These points of view are generally accepted, but the function of phytoecdysteroids in specific contexts has not been unveiled. In the present study, we used larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, to investigate the biological significance of phytoecdysteroids. To mimic the situation where larvae consume plant leaves that contain phytoecdysteroids, 26 or 30 larvae were fed the diet containing ecdysteroid or the control diet. We show that ecdysteroid ingestion dramatically suppressed carbohydrate processing in the larval midgut to reduce the nutritional value of the ingested diet. Based on the present results, we propose a new explanation of phytoecdysteroid function: ingested ecdysteroids may lead to the erroneous perception that the plant is poor in nutrients and consequently result in cessation of feeding.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Dr. Y. Nakagawa for the gift of RH-2485. This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (21380035 and 22380034 to M.I.) and Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity start-up (19 K23739 to T.S.) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
Funding
This study was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research 21380035 and 22380034 to M.I. and Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity start-up 19K23739 to T.S.)
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Suzuki, T., Iwami, M. Ecdysteroid ingestion suppresses carbohydrate hydrolysis in larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori. Sci Nat 107, 27 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-020-01684-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-020-01684-z