Mitochondria and the insect steroid hormone receptor (EcR): A complex relationship

RNAi-based immunity in insects against baculoviruses and the strategies of baculoviruses involved in siRNA and miRNA pathways to weaken the defense

Protection against viral infection in hosts concerns diverse cellular and molecular mechanisms, among which RNA interference (RNAi) response is a vital one. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs) and PIWI interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are primary categories of small RNAs involved in RNAi response, playing significant roles in restraining viral invasion. However, during a long-term coevolution, viruses have gained the ability to evade, avoid, or suppress antiviral immunity to ensure efficient replication and transmission. Baculoviruses are enveloped, insect-pathogenic viruses with double-stranded circular DNA genomes, which encode suppressors of siRNA pathway and miRNAs targeting immune-related genes to mask the antiviral activity of their hosts. This review summarized recent findings for the RNAi-based antiviral immunity in insects as well as the strategies that baculoviruses exploit to break the shield of host siRNA pathway, and hijack cellular miRNAs or encode their own miRNAs that regulate both viral and cellular gene expression to create a favorable environment for viral infection.

Regulation of growth in Drosophila melanogaster: the roles of mitochondrial metabolism

Mitochondrial functions are often considered purely from the standpoint of catabolism, but in growing cells they are mainly dedicated to anabolic processes, and can have a profound impact on the rate of growth. The Drosophila larva, which increases in body mass ∼200-fold over the course of ∼3 days at 25°C, provides an excellent model to study the underlying regulatory machinery that connects mitochondrial metabolic capacity to growth. In this review, we will focus on several key aspects of this machinery: nutrient sensing, endocrine control of feeding and nutrient mobilization, metabolic signalling, protein synthesis regulation and pathways of steroid biosynthesis and activity. In all these aspects, mitochondria appear to play a crucial role.