Developmental Maturation: Drosophila AstA Signaling Provides a Kiss to Grow Up

Insect metamorphosis and mammalian puberty exhibit similar design principles, but the conservation of molecular components has not been documented. A new study demonstrates that the insect neuropeptide allatostatin A and its receptor AstAR1 activate a neuroendocrine signaling cascade that initiates metamorphosis, similar to the way in which their mammalian orthologs Kisspeptin and KISS1R induce puberty. Insect metamorphosis and mammalian puberty exhibit similar design principles, but the conservation of molecular components has not been documented. A new study demonstrates that the insect neuropeptide allatostatin A and its receptor AstAR1 activate a neuroendocrine signaling cascade that initiates metamorphosis, similar to the way in which their mammalian orthologs Kisspeptin and KISS1R induce puberty.