Figure 2

itpr function in neurons regulates body weight and fat storage under starvation. (A) Flies with pan-neuronal and peptidergic knock down of itpr show a significant increase in their body weights post feeding for 144 hrs as well as post starvation for 72 hrs as compared to the RNAi heterozygote control. Over-expression of itpr⁺ in peptidergic neurons in the mutant background rescues body weight in both fed and starved conditions as compared to the mutant. The body weights are normalized to the respective 0 hrs time point for each genotype. (B) Quantification of TAGs from fly abdomens. Pan-neuronal knock down of itpr shows elevated levels of TAGs under fed and starved conditions when compared to the dsitpr/+ control. Peptidergic knock down of itpr shows elevated TAGs post starvation as compared to the RNAi control. itpr⁺ over-expression using the dimm driver in the itpr^ku mutant background restores the TAG levels near wild type under both fed and starved conditions. The TAGs are first normalized to total protein and then to the respective 0 hrs time point for each genotype. *p < 0.05; Student’s t test; difference significant as compared to the corresponding time point of the RNAi control unless otherwise indicated.