The tanning hormone, bursicon, does not act directly on the epidermis to tan the Drosophila exoskeleton.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:In insects, continuous growth requires the periodic replacement of the exoskeleton. Once the remains of the exoskeleton from the previous stage have been shed during ecdysis, the new one is rapidly sclerotized (hardened) and melanized (pigmented), a process collectively known as tanning. The rapid tanning that occurs after ecdysis is critical for insect survival, as it reduces desiccation, and gives the exoskeleton the rigidity needed to support the internal organs and to provide a solid anchor for the muscles. This rapid postecdysial tanning is triggered by the "tanning hormone", bursicon. Since bursicon is released into the hemolymph, it has naturally been assumed that it would act on the epidermal cells to cause the tanning of the overlying exoskeleton. RESULTS:Here we invest

SUBMITTER: Flaven-Pouchon J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7029472 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature