The evolution of developmental gene networks: lessons from comparative studies on holometabolous insects.
Recent comparative studies have revealed significant differences in the developmental gene networks operating in three holometabolous insects: the beetle Tribolium castaneum, the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis and the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. I discuss these differences in relation to divergent and convergent changes in cellular embryology. I speculate on how segmentation gene networks have evolved to operate in divergent embryological contexts, and highlight the role that co-option might have played in this process. I argue that insects represent an important example of how diversification in life-history strategies between lineages can lead to divergence in the genetic and cellular mechanisms controlling the development of homologous adult structures.
Peel
Andrew D
AD
Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology , Vassilika Vouton, 711 10 Iraklio, Crete, Greece. apeel@imbb.forth.gr
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D007313:Insecta / Q000145:classification / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D010063:Ovum / Q000254:growth & development; D010802:Phylogeny; D014231:Tribolium / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D014863:Wasps / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics