Fatty acids stimulate trehalose synthesis in trophocytes of the cockroach (Periplaneta americana) fat body

Trophocytes from the disaggregated fat body of the cockroach (Periplaneta americana) respond to synthetic hypertrehalosemic hormone (HTH) by increasing the rate of trehalose synthesis. The cells give a similar response when incubated with stearic, oleic, linoleic, or arachidonic acid. A maximal increase in trehalose synthesis was obtained with 1-10 mu M fatty acids. Synthesis of trehalose by the trophocytes was also increased by 1 mu M prostaglandin F-2 alpha to nearly the same extent as that evoked by HTH. Furthermore, the data show that the trophocytes are capable of converting linoleic acid into arachidonic acid. This suggests that the cells may convert arachidonic acid, formed from the linoleic acid released by the action of HTH, to a prostaglandin which serves as an integral part of the hypertrehalosemic mechanism. (C) 1997 Academic Press.