Adipose mitochondrial metabolism controls body growth by modulating systemic cytokine and insulin signaling

Animals must adapt their growth to fluctuations in nutrient availability to ensure proper development. These adaptations often rely on specific nutrient-sensing tissues that control whole-body physiology through interorgan communication. While the signaling mechanisms that underlie this communication are well studied, the contributions of metabolic alterations in nutrient-sensing tissues are less clear. Here, we show how the reprogramming of adipose mitochondria controls whole-body growth in Drosophila larvae. We find that dietary nutrients alter fat-body mitochondrial morphology to lower their bioenergetic activity, leading to rewiring of fat-body glucose metabolism. Strikingly, we find that genetic reduction of mitochondrial bioenergetics just in the fat body is sufficient to accelerate body growth and development. These growth effects are caused by inhibition of the fat-derived secreted peptides ImpL2 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)/Eiger, leading to enhanced systemic insulin signaling. Our work reveals how reprogramming of mitochondrial metabolism in one nutrient-sensing tissue can couple nutrient availability to whole-body growth.

Automated summary

Animals must adapt their growth to fluctuations in nutrient availability through interorgan communication in nutrient-sensing tissues. This study reveals how the reprogramming of adipose mitochondria controls whole-body growth in Drosophila larvae. Dietary nutrients alter fat-body mitochondrial morphology and lower their bioenergetic activity, leading to rewiring of fat-body glucose metabolism. Reprogramming mitochondrial metabolism in one nutrient-sensing tissue can couple nutrient availability to whole-body growth by modulating secretion of specific peptides and insulin signaling.