title: Tergal and pleural structures contribute to the formation of ectopic prothoracic wings in cockroaches.
abstract: Wings were a fundamental morphological innovation for the adaptive radiation of insects, the most diversified group among all animals. Pterygote insects have two pairs of wings, the mesothoracic (T2) forewings and the metathoracic (T3) hindwings, whereas the prothorax (T1) is wingless. Using RNA interference approaches, we have found that the geneSex combs reduced(Scr) determines the wingless identity of T1 in the cockroachBlattella germanica. Interference ofScrtriggers the formation of ectopic wing structures in T1, which are formed from the expansion of the latero-posterior region of the pronotum, along with a contribution of the epimeron, a pleurite of T1. These data support the theory of a dual origin for insect wings, from pronotal (tergal origin theory) and pleural (pleural origin theory) structures and genes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Moysés
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elias-Neto
authors.affiliation: Institute of Evolutionary Biology , CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra , Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003 Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1566-303X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Belles
keywords: Blattella; Drosophila; Tribolium; origin insect wings; sex combs reduced