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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Nov 23.
Published in final edited form as: Annu Rev Genet. 2016 Oct 10;50:539–570. doi: 10.1146/annurev-genet-121415-122024

Table 3.

Selected Drosophila organ functions in interorgan communication

Drosophila organ Mammalian functional equivalent Possible functions in interorgan communication What has been measured in Drosophila? Selected references
Insulin-producing cells Pancreatic β-cells Insulin storage and secretion; nutrient sensing; secreted factor sensing; electrical activity; synapses Insulin storage and secretion; nutrient sensing; secreted factor sensing; synapses 3, 15, 26, 27, 33, 48, 49, 62, 72, 75, 102, 118, 127, 129, 145, 147, 152
Corpora cardiaca and corpora allata Pancreatic α-cells and other specialized endocrine glands? AKH/glucagon and other factor storage and secretion; nutrient sensing; secreted factor sensing AKH/glucagon and Lst storage and secretion 3, 43, 47, 51, 63, 66, 69, 78, 96, 98,121,150
Muscle Muscle Contraction; glycogen storage; protein homeostasis; glucose, and FA turnover; heat generation; mitochondria; interaction with immune system; secreted factor production; secreted factor sensing Contraction; protein homeostasis; glucose and FA turnover; mitochondria; secreted factor production (e.g., Myo, ImpL2) 4, 30, 32, 33, 66, 81, 108, 109, 156
Fat body Adipose tissue and liver Nutrient sensing; glycogen, glucose and FA synthesis, storage and release; heat generation; detoxification; mitochondrial biogenesis and function; protein homeostasis; interaction with immune system; secreted factor production; secreted factor sensing Nutrient sensing; glucose and FA synthesis, storage and release; mitochondria; protein homeostasis; interaction with the immune system; secreted factor production (Upd2, Daw, PGRPs, Dilp6, ImpL2, Egr, GBPs, CCHa2); secreted factor sensing (Myo, Dilps, AKH) 4, 6, 7, 17, 21–23, 30, 32, 33, 35, 47, 50, 51, 58, 66, 69, 72, 78, 81, 105, 109, 118, 129, 139
Oenocyte Liver Nutrient sensing; sugar and FA homeostasis; detoxification; cuticular hydrocarbon production; secreted factor production; secreted factor sensing Nutrient sensing; sugar and FA homeostasis; secreted factor sensing (Dilp6) 10, 21, 54, 81, 109, 118
Digestive system Digestive system Digestion; nutrient uptake; nutrient sensing; glucose, FA, and protein metabolism; detoxification/waste excretion; regeneration and stem cell proliferation; host-microbiome interactions; interaction with immune system; secreted factor production; secreted factor sensing Digestion; nutrient uptake; nutrient sensing; glucose and FA metabolism; stem cell proliferation; interaction with the immune system; secreted factor production (ImpL2, Hh); secreted factor sensing (Daw, PGRPs) 4, 17, 23, 35, 74, 81, 109, 125, 135, 141
Reproductive system Reproductive system Cell division, growth, and migration; germline stem cell proliferation and differentiation; meiosis; epigenetic inheritance; glucose, FA, and protein metabolism; mitochondria; secreted factor production; secreted factor sensing Germline stem cell proliferation; secreted factor sensing (insulin) 5, 75, 155
Central nervous system Central nervous system Outside environment sensing; interorganism communication; nutrient homeostasis; behavioral control; electrical activity; synapses; neural regulation of organs and immunity; central regulation of glycogen, glucose, FA, and protein homeostasis, mitochondria; secreted factor (including classical hormone) production; secreted factor sensing Outside environment sensing; nutrient homeostasis; electrical activity; synapses; central regulation of glucose and FA homeostasis; secreted factor production (insulin, SDR, GABA); secreted factor sensing (Upd2, Dilp8, GBPs, Egr, CCHa2) 15, 17, 62, 72, 73, 75, 102, 104, 118, 127, 129, 135, 145, 152
Malpighian tubule Kidney Water balance; waste removal; glucose, FA, and protein metabolism; regeneration; interaction with immune system; secreted factor production; secreted factor sensing Has not been extensively investigated in interorgan communication 9, 17, 137
Heart Heart Contraction; blood propulsion; glucose, FA, and protein metabolism; mitochondria; secreted factor production; secreted factor sensing Contraction, lipids (unknown secreted factors) 11, 35
Trachea Air tract, lungs, trachea, blood vessels for oxygen delivery Exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases and volatiles between the environment and the body; buoyancy; interaction with immune system; secreted factor production; secreted factor sensing Has not been extensively investigated in interorgan communication 4, 17, 109
Tumor and wounds Tumor and wounds Cell division, growth, differentiation, and migration; glucose, FA, and protein metabolism; nutrient sensing; mitochondria; interaction with immune system; chromosomal stability; secreted factor production; secreted factor sensing Glucose and FA metabolism; secreted factor production (ImpL2, Dilp8) 26, 27, 41, 48, 49, 74, 147

Abbreviations: AKH, adipokinetic hormone; Daw, dawdle; Dilp, Drosophila insulin-like peptide; EGF, epidermal growth factor; Egr, eiger; FA, fatty acid; GBPs, growth-blocking peptides; Hh, hedgehog; Lst, limostatin; Myo, myoglianin; PGRPs, peptidoglycan recognition proteins; SDR, secreted decoy of InR.