PKG acts in the adult corpora cardiaca to regulate nutrient stress-responsivity through adipokinetic hormone

In Drosophila melanogaster, the adipokinetic hormone (AKH) is a glucagon-like peptide that acts antagonistically with insulin-like peptides to maintain metabolic homeostasis. AKH is biosynthesized in and secreted from the corpora cardiaca (CC). This report describes a CC-specific role for dg2 - which encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) - as a regulator of AKH during adulthood. Transcriptional silencing of dg2 during adulthood decreased starvation resistance, increased sucrose responsiveness, and decreased whole body lipid content. PKG protein was localized to CC cell membranes, and starvation caused a significant decrease in CC intracellular AKH content. Strikingly, reduced CC-dg2 expression caused a significant decrease in intracellular AKH content in adults fed ad libitum. This work demonstrated that dysregulation of CC-specific dg2 expression during adult life impaired metabolic homeostasis, and that dg2 acted in the CC to regulate systemic AKH activity.

Automated summary

This study reveals a crucial role of dg2 in regulating AKH during adulthood in Drosophila. Transcriptional silencing of dg2 decreases starvation resistance, increases sucrose responsiveness, and reduces whole body lipid content in adult flies. Additionally, dg2 is localized to CC cell membranes, and starvation leads to a significant decrease in CC intracellular AKH content. Reduced CC-dg2 expression causes a significant decrease in intracellular AKH content in adults fed ad libitum.