ASSESSING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PROSTAGLANDINS AND OTHER EICOSANOIDS IN INSECT PHYSIOLOGY

In this article I outline the biosynthesis of prostaglandins and other eicosanoids, then review the roles of these molecules in insect physiology. These roles include releasing egg-laying behavior in certain insects, mediating cellular immunological responses to bacterial infections, regulating epithelial ion and water flux in mosquito Malpighian tubules, and regulating temperature set points in desert cicadas. Next, I present a rationale for assessing the roles of eicosanoids in insect physiology. A key issue is that the use of selective eicosanoid biosynthesis inhibitors can help us gain information on the possibility that eicosanoids may be involved in a particular physiological activity. However, in the absence of additional information, the results of such experiments do not provide convincing proof that eicosanoids mediate a particular physiological response. Finally, I examine the roles of eicosanoid actions in the context of factors that regulate overall cellular responses.