Sex-biased expression of enteroendocrine cell-derived hormones contributes to higher fat storage in Drosophila females.

Gut-specific knock-down of EE cell-derived AstC significantly reduces fat storage in female Drosophila with no effect in males.

• Why it matters: Understanding sex differences in hormone regulation is crucial because they influence physiology and behavior, yet it remains unclear whether EE cell-derived hormones are regulated similarly in males and females.
• What they did: Researchers characterized sex-biased expression of EE cell hormones in male and female flies, and monitored triglyceride levels after gut-specific knock-down of these hormones in 5-day-old flies, focusing on AstC and Tk.
• The result: Knock-down of AstC decreased fat storage specifically in females, and similar effects were observed with neuron-specific receptor knock-down, indicating sex-biased hormonal regulation impacts fat storage in female Drosophila.