Trehalose and Glycogen Dynamics in Galleria mellonella Under Stress: Tissue-Specific Insights
Entomological Research, cilt.56, sa.7, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 56 Sayı: 7
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1111/1748-5967.70134
- Dergi Adı: Entomological Research
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Environment Index, Zoological Record, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: acute stress, fat body, glycogen, hemolymph, stress response, trehalose
- Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Insects employ flexible metabolic strategies to cope with acute environmental stress. This study investigates how different stressors, including physical, mechanical, and thermal, influence carbohydrate metabolism in Galleria mellonella larvae. Trehalose and glucose levels were measured in hemolymph, together with trehalose, glycogen, and glucose levels in fat body tissues, at 4 and 12 h poststress to assess time- and tissue-specific metabolic shifts. All stress types triggered a rapid decline in hemolymph trehalose, emphasizing its role as a key early energy buffer under stress. Bead injection induced the most pronounced and persistent metabolic alterations, including sustained glucose elevation, suggesting increased metabolic demand under prolonged internal stress. In contrast, mechanical and thermal stressors caused largely transient changes, with partial recovery of carbohydrate levels by 12 h. Fat body responses varied with stressor type; thermal and mechanical stress led to early glycogen depletion, whereas bead injection caused minimal glycogen utilization but promoted local trehalose accumulation, indicating differential energy mobilization strategies. Overall, G. mellonella exhibited a stressor-specific and temporally structured metabolic program characterized by early trehalose mobilization, followed by glycogen-associated metabolic adjustments. These results highlight the central role of the fat body in metabolic regulation and support the utility of G. mellonella as a model organism for studying insect physiology and energy homeostasis.