Insulin-like peptide has antagonistic pleiotropic effects on male combat traits and survival traits in an armed beetle.

ABSTRACT: The expression of sexually selected traits, such as exaggerated weapons and ornaments, often entails trade-offs against life-history traits. While phenotypic trade-offs are well documented, the underlying molecular physiological mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the potential role of an insulin-like peptide, ILP2, in mediating the trade-off between sexually selected combat traits and survival traits in the broad-horned flour beetle, Gnatocerus cornutus. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown (KD) of ILP2 during larval stages resulted in a reduction in the development of mandibular horns and overall body size. Interestingly, ILP2 KD males had increased lipid storage and enhanced starvation tolerance, indicating a shift in resource allocation from sexua

SUBMITTER: Kato T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12863297 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature