Interactions Between Corpora Allata, Fat Body and Ovary in Insect Reproduction: Which Controls Which?

Abstract

The classical model describing the endocrinology of vitellogenesis involves the juvenile hormone (JH) produced by the corpora allata (CA), which induces the synthesis of vitellogenin (Vg) in the fat body, which is then incorporated into developing oocytes. However, exceptions and special regulatory loops have been reported in different insects, thus leading to a more complicated picture. In spite of the great diversity encountered, it may be possible to reach a unified scheme of the interplay between CA, fat body and the ovary, where homeostasis is accomplished by autoinhibition and short- and long-loop feedback mechanisms.