Do the leucokinin pathway and its neurons regulate meal size in Drosophila?
Our data suggest that the increase in meal size in leuc and lkr mutants is due to a meal termination defect, perhaps arising from impaired communication of gut distension signals to the brain. Leucokinin and the leucokinin receptor are homologous to vertebrate tachykinin and its receptor, and injection of tachykinins reduces food consumption. Our results suggest that the roles of the tachykinin system in regulating food intake might be evolutionarily conserved between insects and vertebrates.
Ultrashort echo time bi-component analysis provides consistent bound and free water fractions at 1.5 T and 3 T, thereby allowing field-independent comparisons.