Maintenance of segment and appendage primordia by the Tribolium gene knödel

For homeotic and segment-polarity genes in Drosophila, a switch in gene regulation has been described that distinguishes patterning and maintenance phases. Maintenance of segment and organ primordia involves secondary patterning and differentiation steps, as well as survival factors regulating proli...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mechanisms of development 2006-06, Vol.123 (6), p.430-439
Main Authors: Wohlfrom, Hilde, Schinko, Johannes Benno, Klingler, Martin, Bucher, Gregor
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Body Patterning
Cell Adhesion
Cell Differentiation
Developmental Biology - methods
Drosophila melanogaster
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Genetic Complementation Test
Insect Proteins - biosynthesis
Insect Proteins - genetics
knodel
leg development
Maintenance
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Mutation
Naked cuticle
Phenotype
Repressor Proteins - metabolism
Segment polarity
Segmentation
Signal Transduction
Time Factors
Tribolium
Tribolium - metabolism
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Summary:For homeotic and segment-polarity genes in Drosophila, a switch in gene regulation has been described that distinguishes patterning and maintenance phases. Maintenance of segment and organ primordia involves secondary patterning and differentiation steps, as well as survival factors regulating proliferation and organ size. In a screen for embryonic lethal mutations in the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, we have recovered two alleles of the knödel gene, which result in short, bag-like embryos. These embryos have severely reduced appendages and differentiate a cuticle that lacks most overt signs of segmentation. In addition, they lack bristles and display defects in the nervous system. Early patterning in knödel mutant embryos is normal up to the extended germ band stage, as indicated by the formation of regular even-skipped ( Tc'eve) and wingless ( Tc'wg) stripes. Afterwards, however, these patterns degenerate. Similarly, proximo-distal growth and patterning of limbs are nearly normal initially, but limb primordia shrink, and proximo-distal patterns degenerate, during subsequent stages. knödel could be a segment polarity gene required for segment border maintenance in both trunk and appendages. Alternatively, it may have a more general role in tissue or organ maintenance.
ISSN:0925-4773
1872-6356
DOI:10.1016/j.mod.2006.04.003