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Striking parallels between dorsoventral patterning inDrosophilaandGryllusreveal a complex evolutionary history behind a model gene regulatory network

Authors :
Matthias Pechmann
Orhan Özüak
Laura Pott
Thomas Buchta
Peter Heger
Siegfried Roth
Yen-Ta Chen
Nathan J. Kenny
Jeremy A. Lynch
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2020.

Abstract

Dorsoventral pattering relies on Toll and BMP signalling in all insects studied so far, with variations in the relative contributions of both pathways.Drosophilaand the beetleTriboliumshare extensive dependence on Toll, while representatives of more distantly related lineages like the waspNasoniaand bugOncopeltusrely more strongly on BMP signalling. Here, we show that in the cricketGryllus bimaculatus, an evolutionarily distant outgroup, Toll has, like inDrosophila, a direct patterning role for the ventral half of the embryo. In addition Toll polarizes BMP signalling, although this does not involve the conserved BMP inhibitor Sog/Chordin. Finally, Toll activation relies on ovarian patterning mechanisms with striking similarity toDrosophila.Our data suggest two surprising hypotheses: 1) that Toll’s patterning function inGryllusandDrosophilais the result of convergent evolution or 2) aDrosophila-likesystem arose early in insect evolution, and was extensively altered in multiple independent lineages.

Details

Database :
OpenAIRE
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........242408300abed5de395672297d07a118
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.28.359182