Expression patterns of the homeotic genes Scr, Antp, Ubx, and abd-A during embryogenesis of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.
We have studied embryogenesis of the two-spotted cricket Gryllus bimaculatus as an example of a hemimetabolous, intermediate germ insect, which is a phylogenetically basal insect and may retain primitive features. We observed expression patterns of the orthologs of the Drosophila homeotic genes, Sex combs reduced (Scr), Antennapedia (Antp), Ultrabithorax (Ubx) and abdominal-A (abd-A) during embryogenesis and compared the expression patterns of these genes with the more basal thysanuran insect, Thermobia domestica (the firebrat), and the derived higher dipteran insect, Drosophila melanogaster. Although Scr is expressed commonly in the presumptive posterior maxillary and labial segment in all three insects, the thoracic expression domains vary. Antp is expressed similarly in the three thoracic segments, the limbs, and the anterior abdominal region among these three insects. The early Antp expression in the firebrat and cricket obeys a segmental register in all three thoracic segments, while in Drosophila its initial expression appears in parasegments 4 and 6. Ubx is expressed in the metathoracic (T3) and abdominal segments similarly in the three insects, whereas the expression pattern in the T3 leg differs among them. abd-A is expressed in the posterior compartment of the first abdominal segment and the remaining abdominal segments in all three insects, although its posterior border varies among them.
Zhang
Hongjie
H
Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokushima, 2-1 Minami-Jyosanjima-cho, Tokushima City 770-8506, Japan.
Shinmyo
Yohei
Y
Mito
Taro
T
Miyawaki
Katsuyuki
K
Sarashina
Isao
I
Ohuchi
Hideyo
H
Noji
Sumihare
S
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D051943:Antennapedia Homeodomain Protein; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006135:Gryllidae / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
C410542:Abd-A protein, insect; D051943:Antennapedia Homeodomain Protein; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors