Molecular mechanisms of juvenile hormone action

Insect development,metamorphosis and reproduction are coordinated and regulated by juvenile hormone(JH) and ecdysone(20-hydroxyecdysone,20E).However,the molecular mechanisms of JH are poorly understood compared with those of 20E.There has been much research undertaken to identify the bona fide JH nuclear receptor,to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of JH in insect metamorphosis and reproduction,and to elucidate the crosstalk between JH and 20E,using the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum,fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster,tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta and other insects as model systems.This review highlights the most recent progress in these areas.