Systemic coordination of invertebrate homeostasis

Authors: Ramirez, Jose; RAMOS, ISABELA - Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro; GOMES, FABIO - Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro

Submitted to: Frontiers in Physiology
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/12/2021
Publication Date: 9/7/2021
Citation: Ramirez, J.L., Ramos, I., Gomes, F.M. 2021. Systemic coordination of invertebrate homeostasis. Frontiers in Physiology. 12. Article 736185. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.736185.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.736185

Interpretive Summary: Multicellular organisms have been able to achieve a fascinating level of adaptation and specialization, allowing highly specialized cells to organize in tissues and organs. While this has allowed an unsurpassed level of efficiency, organs and cells are still required to develop strategies to coordinate their metabolic state and physiological status. Thus, an additional level of complexity was developed to respond to a dynamic external environment or during interactions with symbiotic organisms or invading pathogens. In this Special Issue, several new contributing articles further shed light on important topics in this area of research, highlighting the complexity that exist in the systemic coordination of invertebrate homeostasis.

Technical Abstract: In order to achieve a coordinated physiological response to a given stimulus, an organism must be able to sense alterations of their microenvironment and communicate these alterations to remaining tissues and organs far apart. Metazoans have developed an intricate system for coordinating physiological responses among several organs, through the production of molecular mediators comprising a diversity of chemical classes. Among invertebrates, lipid hormones like the insect juvenile hormone and ecdysone have long been known to regulate a wide range of life-history traits. However, knowledge of the complexity of regulatory mechanisms is scant. This Research Topic focuses on the mechanisms of sensing, action and transport involved in the multi-systemic coordination of physiological features. We anticipate that future work will continue to use molecular and cellular biology tools to provide exciting new evidence of this coordination in invertebrates.