Striking parallels between dorsoventral patterning in Drosophila and Gryllus reveal a complex evolutionary history behind a model gene regulatory network

eLife

Laura Pott¹  Matthias Pechmann¹  Orhan Özüak¹  Siegfried Roth¹  Yen-Ta Chen¹  Thomas Buchta¹  Jeremy Lynch²  Peter Heger³  Nathan James Kenny⁴ 

[1] Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany;Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany;Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, United States;Regional Computing Centre (RRZK), University of Cologne, Köln, Germany;The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom;

关键词: BMP signalling;    Toll signalling;    Sog/Chordin;    morphogen;    pipe;    SoxN;    Other;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.68287

来源: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

【 摘 要 】

Dorsoventral pattering relies on Toll and BMP signalling in all insects studied so far, with variations in the relative contributions of both pathways. Drosophila and the beetle Tribolium share extensive dependence on Toll, while representatives of more distantly related lineages like the wasp Nasonia and bug Oncopeltus rely more strongly on BMP signalling. Here, we show that in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, an evolutionarily distant outgroup, Toll has, like in Drosophila, a direct patterning role for the ventral half of the embryo. In addition, Toll polarises BMP signalling, although this does not involve the conserved BMP inhibitor Sog/Chordin. Finally, Toll activation relies on ovarian patterning mechanisms with striking similarity to Drosophila. Our data suggest two surprising hypotheses: (1) that Toll's patterning function in Gryllus and Drosophila is the result of convergent evolution or (2) a Drosophila-like system arose early in insect evolution and was extensively altered in multiple independent lineages.

【 授权许可】

CC BY