About this Research Topic
Countless studies utilizing a diversity of insect species have significantly contributed to our understanding at both the molecular and cellular levels of how an extracellular signal is turned into a cellular response. These studies have spawned a wide-ranging multi-disciplinary research field that has its roots in the elucidation of chemical structures and biosynthetic pathways but which has since branched out to incorporate cellular and molecular dynamics, metabolic engineering, population genetics, and RNA-dependent gene silencing. Research into other signals and their cognate receptors has lead to the realization that these interactions govern nearly every facet of insect life from growth and development to homeostasis and reproductive behavior. As a consequence, significant efforts have been made to further our knowledge of signaling pathways and how they impact insect physiology and behavior as a means of facilitating the development of the next generation of biorationally-designed insect control agents. The same linear dependence on signaling also makes insects excellent models for the basic endocrine mechanisms underlying lipid and cellular biology and can provide insights into lipid uptake, lipogenesis, hormone-regulated lipolysis, membrane trafficking, and intracellular calcium signaling in organisms from other phyla. It is the aim of this Research Topics forum to celebrate the advancements seen in insect endocrinology via review papers and original articles as well as to highlight recent developments in fundamental and applied insect-based endocrine research.
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