Takashi Nishimura 1,*, Chisei Arakawa 2, Yuto Yoshinari 1 （1. Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation (IMCR), Gunma University、2. School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Gunma University、*: Corresponding author）
About
Animals survive by storing nutrients from food and using them when needed. When food is scarce, such as during starvation, they break down stored fats and sugars to produce energy. In mammals, endocrine hormones such as insulin and glucagon play key roles in controlling these responses to changes in nutrition. In insects, a hormone called Akh has a function similar to that of glucagon.
In this study, the research team developed a highly sensitive method to measure Akh in Drosophila melanogaster and examined how Akh secretion is regulated during starvation. They found that Akh acts on an organ called the fat body, where it promotes the breakdown of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). They also showed that BCAA metabolism works as a feedback mechanism that prevents excessive Akh secretion. In addition, Akh-promoted BCAA metabolism was found to support not only amino acid breakdown, but also the synthesis of glutathione, an antioxidant, and protection against oxidative stress during starvation. These findings reveal a new mechanism by which hormone secretion, amino acid metabolism, and oxidative stress defense work together to help animals adapt to nutrient deficiency.
Paper information
Nishimura T, Arakawa C, and Yoshinari Y. Inter-organ metabolic feedback via BCAA catabolism regulates glucagon-like hormone secretion in Drosophila. Nat Commun. 2026 Sep 1;14(1):5328.
Online URL
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-72677-1
