Role of Phote-HrTH (Phormia terraenovae hypertrehalosemic hormone) in modulating the supercontractile muscles of the crop of adult Phormia regina Meigen

•Phote-HrTH slows down or inhibits the crop lobe muscles (P5).•Phote-HrTH stimulates the muscles of the pump 4 (P4).•Crop emptying and gut filling are positively correlated with the P4 contraction rate.•Phote-HrTH promotes emptying of the crop and transfer of sugar solution to the gut.

Phote-HrTH (Phormia terraenovae hypertrehalosemic hormone) has been demonstrated in the Diptera to be involved in flight metabolism, reproduction, and diapause. Each of these events needs the hormone's action and requirement for carbohydrates is the common denominator. In Diptera, carbohydrates are taken up during feeding by action of the cibarial pump and are then stored in the crop. Using adult Phormia regina, both a bioassay and electrophysiological recordings show that Phote-HrTH slows down or inhibits the crop lobe muscles (P5) and, at the same time, stimulates the muscles of the pump 4 (P4) involved in pushing fluids out of the crop and up into the midgut for digestion. The EC50 for P4 was in the nanomolar range while the IC50 for P5 was 1.4-75.1 pM. The effect of Phote-HrTH on P4/5 suggests that the peptide is important in coordinating the two pumps, which are involved in moving carbohydrates up into the midgut for digestion. The adult crop organ is an essential storage organ for carbohydrates and now should be considered an important structure capable of delivering nutrients to the midgut for digestion.

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