title: Hox control of Drosophila larval anatomy; The Alary and Thoracic Alary-Related Muscles.
abstract: The body plan of arthropods and vertebrates involves the formation of repetitive segments, which subsequently diversify to give rise to different body parts along the antero-posterior/rostro-caudal body axis. Anatomical variations between body segments are crucial for organ function and organismal fitness. Pioneering work in Drosophila has established that Hox transcription factors play key roles both in endowing initially identical segments with distinct identities and organogenesis. The focus of this review is on Alary Muscles (AMs) and the newly discovered Thoracic Alary-Related Muscles (TARMs). AMs and TARMs are thin muscles which together connect the circulatory system and different midgut regions to the exoskeleton, while intertwining with the respiratory tubular network. They were hypothesized to represent a new type of muscles with spring-like properties, maintaining internal organs in proper anatomical positions during larval locomotion. Both the morphology of TARMs relative to AMs, and morphogenesis of connected tissues is under Hox control, emphasizing the key role of Hox proteins in coordinating the anatomical development of the larva.
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse 3, Centre de Biologie du Développement, UMR 5547 CNRS and FRBT, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse Cedex 09, France. Electronic address: laetitia.bataille@univ-tlse3.fr.
authors.forename: Laetitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bataillé
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse 3, Centre de Biologie du Développement, UMR 5547 CNRS and FRBT, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse Cedex 09, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Frendo
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse 3, Centre de Biologie du Développement, UMR 5547 CNRS and FRBT, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse Cedex 09, France. Electronic address: alain.vincent@univ-tlse3.fr.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vincent
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000235:genetics*; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D013895:Thoracic Arteries / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins
keywords: Alary Muscles; Hox proteins; Myogenesis; Organogenesis