NPF exerts behavioral and motivational modulation in
insects, including feeding and reproductive behaviors. NPF
is an invertebrate counterpart peptide of the mammalian neuropeptide
Y (NPY), regulating feeding and its related
behaviors.
To date, a number of physiological investigations of
NPF indicate that NPF is a pleiotropic factor in insects.Significantly, NPF functions in the modulation of
feeding behavior and motivation, including the response
to starvation. The function of NPF in feeding effects is
involved in the insulin-signaling pathway. Accompanied
by these functions of NPF, the expression and secretion
level of NPF are regulated by carbohydrate intake. As
the clock-related neurons are co-expressed with NPF,
clock-related functions have been demonstrated.In addition,
NPF contributes to the regulation of locomotor
activity for reproduction. In particular, NPF is involved
in aggressive behaviors such as territorial competition
and male-specific aggression in insects as well as social
behavior in C. elegans. In D. melanogaster, learning and
memory effects are also confirmed as NPF's function.
NPF is involved in the release of other hormones,
including dopamine, octopamine, and GABA in
D. melanogaster. Sensitivity to ethanol is controlled via
NPFergic neurons in the mushroom body. NPF signaling
is involved in the insulin signaling pathway in
D. melanogaster.
