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A quantitative analysis of the mechanism that controls body size in Manduca sexta.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Nijhout, HF; Davidowitz, G; Roff, DA
Published in: Journal of Biology
January 2006

Body size is controlled by mechanisms that terminate growth when the individual reaches a species-specific size. In insects, it is a pulse of ecdysone at the end of larval life that causes the larva to stop feeding and growing and initiate metamorphosis. Body size is a quantitative trait, so it is important that the problem of control of body size be analyzed quantitatively. The processes that control the timing of ecdysone secretion in larvae of the moth Manduca sexta are sufficiently well understood that they can be described in a rigorous manner.We develop a quantitative description of the empirical data on body size determination that accurately predicts body size for diverse genetic strains. We show that body size is fully determined by three fundamental parameters: the growth rate, the critical weight (which signals the initiation of juvenile hormone breakdown), and the interval between the critical weight and the secretion of ecdysone. All three parameters are easily measured and differ between genetic strains and environmental conditions. The mathematical description we develop can be used to explain how variables such as growth rate, nutrition, and temperature affect body size.Our analysis shows that there is no single locus of control of body size, but that body size is a system property that depends on interactions among the underlying determinants of the three fundamental parameters. A deeper mechanistic understanding of body size will be obtained by research aimed at uncovering the molecular mechanisms that give these three parameters their particular quantitative values.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of Biology

DOI

EISSN

1475-4924

ISSN

1478-5854

Publication Date

January 2006

Volume

5

Issue

5

Start / End Page

16

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Models, Biological
  • Manduca
  • Larva
  • Developmental Biology
  • Computer Simulation
  • Body Weight
  • Body Size
  • Animals
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Nijhout, H. F., Davidowitz, G., & Roff, D. A. (2006). A quantitative analysis of the mechanism that controls body size in Manduca sexta. Journal of Biology, 5(5), 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/jbiol43
Nijhout, H. F., G. Davidowitz, and D. A. Roff. “A quantitative analysis of the mechanism that controls body size in Manduca sexta.Journal of Biology 5, no. 5 (January 2006): 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/jbiol43.
Nijhout HF, Davidowitz G, Roff DA. A quantitative analysis of the mechanism that controls body size in Manduca sexta. Journal of Biology. 2006 Jan;5(5):16.
Nijhout, H. F., et al. “A quantitative analysis of the mechanism that controls body size in Manduca sexta.Journal of Biology, vol. 5, no. 5, Jan. 2006, p. 16. Epmc, doi:10.1186/jbiol43.
Nijhout HF, Davidowitz G, Roff DA. A quantitative analysis of the mechanism that controls body size in Manduca sexta. Journal of Biology. 2006 Jan;5(5):16.

Published In

Journal of Biology

DOI

EISSN

1475-4924

ISSN

1478-5854

Publication Date

January 2006

Volume

5

Issue

5

Start / End Page

16

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Models, Biological
  • Manduca
  • Larva
  • Developmental Biology
  • Computer Simulation
  • Body Weight
  • Body Size
  • Animals