Data from: Parasitic wasps do not lack lipogenesis

Fatty acids are crucial primary metabolites for virtually any creature on
earth. Therefore, most organisms do not rely exclusively on nutritional
supply with fatty acids but have the ability to synthesize fatty acids and
triacylglycerides de novo from carbohydrates, a process called
lipogenesis. The ubiquity of lipogenesis has been questioned by a series
of studies reporting that many parasitic wasps (parasitoids) do not
accumulate lipid mass despite having unlimited access to sugar. This has
been interpreted as an evolutionary metabolic trait loss in parasitoids.
Here, we demonstrate de novo biosynthesis of fatty acids from 13C-labeled
alpha-D-glucose in thirteen species of parasitoids from seven families. We
furthermore show with the model organism Nasonia vitripennis that
lipogenesis occurs even when lipid reserves are still intact, but relative
13C-incorporation rates increase in females with widely depleted fat
reserves. Therefore, we conclude that the presumed ‘lack of lipogenesis’
in parasitoids needs to be re-evaluated.