Role of bursicon in larvae stage

Bursicon is a heterodimeric neuropeptide responsible for mediating adult cuticle sclerotization and wing expansion via a G protein–coupled receptor (DLGR2) in diverse insect orders. Transcriptional studies revealed that both bursicon α and β transcripts were expressed in the central nerve system (CNS) of Drosophila larvae, pupae and newly emerged adults. Using DNA microarray and recombinant bursicon (r-bursicon), we have previously identified a set of bursicon-regulated genes in neck-ligated flies D. melanogaster. In the present study, we developed an in-vitro assay and explored the role of bursiocn in Drosophila larvae.