Development Genes and Evolution

O’Donnell, Brigid C.; Jockusch, Elizabeth L.

doi: 10.1007/s00427-010-0324-6pmid: 20429012

The expression of the segment polarity genes wingless (wg) and engrailed (en) is highly conserved across arthropods, and these genes play a crucial role in patterning of the segmental body plan. Investigations of the expression and function of wg and en have focused primarily upon holometabolous insects, with the notable exception of recent detailed work in Oncopeltus (Hemiptera), Schistocerca, and Gryllus (Orthoptera). An increase in the phylogenetic breadth of our understanding of molecular patterning is crucial to ascertain the extent of conservation and divergence in molecular patterning mechanisms during insect embryogenesis. We examined the expression of wg mRNA transcripts and localization of En protein during embryogenesis in the mayfly Ephoron leukon (Ephemeroptera: Polymitarcyidae). These data represent one of the first embryonic gene expression pattern data for a mayfly, a lineage that may be the sister group to all other winged insects. Many aspects of wg and En expression are highly conserved, notably their expression in juxtaposed stripes in each parasegment, as well as expression domains in the procephalon, mouthparts, thoracic limbs, and nervous system. Future work in mayflies can be used to determine if conservation extends to other components of the segmentation hierarchy.

Nishii, Kanae; Möller, Michael; Kidner, Catherine; Spada, Alberto; Mantegazza, Raffaella; Wang, Chun-Neng; Nagata, Toshiyuki

doi: 10.1007/s00427-010-0326-4pmid: 20502914

The mutually exclusive relationship between ARP and KNOX1 genes in the shoot apical meristem and leaf primordia in simple leaved plants such as Arabidopsis has been well characterized. Overlapping expression domains of these genes in leaf primordia have been described for many compound leaved plants such as Solanum lycopersicum and Cardamine hirsuta and are regarded as a characteristic of compound leaved plants. Here, we present several datasets illustrating the co-expression of ARP and KNOX1 genes in the shoot apical meristem, leaf primordia, and developing leaves in plants with simple leaves and simple primordia. Streptocarpus plants produce unequal cotyledons due to the continued activity of a basal meristem and produce foliar leaves termed “phyllomorphs” from the groove meristem in the acaulescent species Streptocarpus rexii and leaves from a shoot apical meristem in the caulescent Streptocarpus glandulosissimus. We demonstrate that the simple leaves in both species possess a greatly extended basal meristematic activity that persists over most of the leaf’s growth. The area of basal meristem activity coincides with the co-expression domain of ARP and KNOX1 genes. We suggest that the co-expression of ARP and KNOX1 genes is not exclusive to compound leaved plants but is associated with foci of meristematic activity in leaves.

Bezares-Calderón, Luis A.; Becerra, Arturo; Salinas, Laura S.; Maldonado, Ernesto; Navarro, Rosa E.

doi: 10.1007/s00427-010-0327-3pmid: 20532558

Germ cells in many animals possess a specialized cytoplasm in the form of granules that contain RNA and protein complexes essential for the function and preservation of the germline. The mechanism for the formation of these granules is still poorly understood; however, the lack of conservation in their components across different species suggests evolutionary convergence in the assembly process. Germ granules are assumed to be present in all nematodes with a preformed germline. However, few studies have clearly identified these structures in species other than Caenorhabditis elegans and even less have carried functional analysis to provide a broader panorama of the granules composition in the phylum. We adopted a bioinformatics approach to investigate the extension of conservation in nematodes of some known C. elegans germ granule components, as a proxy to understand germ granules evolution in this phylum. Unexpectedly, we found that, in nematodes, the DEAD box RNA helicase Vasa, a conserved protein among different phyla, shows a complex history of clade-specific duplications and sequence divergence. Our analyses suggest that, in nematodes, Vasa’s function might be shared among proteins like LAF-1, VBH-1, and GLH-1/-2/-3 and GLH-4. Key components of P granules assembly in C. elegans, like the PGL protein family, are only preserved in Caenorhabditis species. Our analysis suggests that germ granules assembly may not be conserved in nematodes. Studies on these species could bring insight into the basic components required for this pathway.

Oka, Kazuki; Yoshiyama, Naotoshi; Tojo, Koji; Machida, Ryuichiro; Hatakeyama, Masatsugu

doi: 10.1007/s00427-010-0325-5pmid: 20449607

Larvae of the sawfly, Athalia rosae, have remarkable abdominal prolegs. We analyzed the morphogenesis of appendages and the expression of decapentaplegic and Distal-less genes during embryonic development to characterize the origin of prolegs. Proleg primordia in abdominal segments A1–A9 appeared shortly after the inner lobes (endites) of gnathal appendages were formed. These were located on the ventral plates, medioventral to the appendages of the other segments in light of serial homology. Nothing was seen where the main axis of the appendage should develop in abdominal segments. The primordia in A1 and A9 disappeared before larval hatching. Anal prolegs appeared separate from cerci, the main axes of appendages, which were formed temporarily in A11. The expression of decapentaplegic, which reflects the primary determination of appendages, was detected in the lateral juxtaposition with the prolegs. Distal-less was expressed in the main axes of appendages, protruding endites and the cerci, but not in prolegs and anal prolegs or the gnathal endites which do not protrude. These findings suggest a possibility that the abdominal and anal prolegs of A. rosae are outgrowths of ventral plates which derived from coxopodal elements, but not main axes of appendages.