Silencing of an abdominal Hox gene during early development is correlated with limb development in a crustacean trunk.
We tested whether Artemia abd-A could repress limbs in Drosophila embryos, and found that although abd-A transcripts were produced, ABD-A protein was not. Similarly, developing Artemia epidermal cells showed expression of abd-A transcripts without accumulation of ABD-A protein. This finding in Artemia reveals a new variation in Hox gene function that is associated with morphological evolution. In this case, a HOX protein expression pattern is completely absent during early development, although the HOX protein is expressed at later stages in the central nervous system in a "homeotic-like" pattern. The combination of an absence of ABD-A protein expression in the Artemia limb primordia and the weak repressive function of Artemia UBX protein on the limb-promoting gene Dll are likely to be two reasons why homonomous limbs develop throughout the entire Artemia trunk.
Hsia
Cheryl C
CC
Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Paré
Adam C
AC
Hannon
Michael
M
Ronshaugen
Matthew
M
McGinnis
William
W
D000818:Animals; D001156:Artemia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D047390:Casein Kinase II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D005121:Extremities / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D020868:Gene Silencing; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
C410542:Abd-A protein, insect; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C066177:Ubx protein, Drosophila; C117261:distal-less protein, insect; D047390:Casein Kinase II