1932

Abstract

The study of fat metabolism in insects has received considerable attention over the years. Although by no means complete, there is a growing body of information about dietary lipid requirements, and the absolute requirement for sterol is of particular note. In this review we () summarize the state of understanding of the dietary requirements for the major lipids and () describe in detail the insect lipid transport system. Insects digest and absorb lipids similarly to vertebrates, but with some important differences. The hallmark of fat metabolism in insects centers on the lipid transport system. The major lipid transported is diacylglycerol, and it is carried by a high-density lipoprotein called lipophorin. Lipophorin is a reusable shuttle that picks up lipid from the gut and delivers it to tissues for storage or utilization without using the endocytic processes common to vertebrate cells. The mechanisms by which this occurs are not completely understood and offer fruitful areas for future research.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.nutr.21.1.23
2001-07-01
2024-10-08
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.nutr.21.1.23
Loading
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.nutr.21.1.23
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Review Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error