Abstract
Insects are the most abundant and diverse class of animals on the planet. One explanation for their success is their extraordinary ability to successfully consume a wide range of foods. Like all heterotrophic organisms, insects need to acquire vital nutrients from their diet. The central organ for food digestion and absorption of nutrients is the gastrointestinal tract. This organ’s principal functions are mediating the efficient digestion of the diet and protecting the organism against harmful chemicals, microorganisms, and mechanical damage from the food. These functions are achieved through regional differentiation of the alimentary canal as well as highly flexible adaptations to the consumed diets, both at anatomical and molecular levels. Numerous studies describing the general gut morphology and associated digestive mechanisms of various insects exist. Nevertheless, the molecular patterns underlying digestion and nutrient uptake in insects are still poorly characterized. This review aims to provide an overview of the general strategies of extracellular macronutrient digestion and consequent nutrient absorption found among different orders of insects.
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Acknowledgments
The Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) and the Research Foundation of KU Leuven (C14/15/050) are gratefully acknowledged for their support. In addition, MH is supported by a PhD fellowship granted by the Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT; Project Number 141447) and CL by a post-doctoral position of the KU Leuven Internal Funds (PDM 18/111). MH wrote the initial text. CL designed the figures. CL, DC, and JVB edited the manuscript. JVB is the senior academic author.
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Holtof, M., Lenaerts, C., Cullen, D. et al. Extracellular nutrient digestion and absorption in the insect gut. Cell Tissue Res 377, 397–414 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-019-03031-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-019-03031-9