Contribution of ecdysone to imaginal discs growth

Herboso, Leire et al.-- Trabajo presentado en el 2nd International Insect Hormone Workshop, celebrado en Creta del 12 al 18 de julio de 2015.Animals have a determined species-specific body size, which results from the combined action of hormones and signaling pathways regulating growth rate and duration. In Drosophila, the steroid hormone ecdysone regulates developmental transitions, thereby regulating the duration of the growth period. Here we show that ecdysone promotes the growth of imaginal discs in mid-third instar larvae, as imaginal discs from larvae with reduced or no ecdysone synthesis are smaller than wild type due to smaller and fewer cells. Our data provide new insights into the relationship between insulin/insulin-like/Tor and ecdysone pathways in the control of organ growth. The role of ecdysone in growth control is conserved in hemimetabolous insects.N