A Role for buttonhead in the Early Head and Trunk Development in the Beetle Tribolium castaneum

• Published in: Balsaeng'gwa saengsig Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 63 - 72
• Main Authors: Jeon, Haewon, O, Jiyun, Jin, Sil, Lim, Jinsung, Choe, Chong Pyo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Developmental Biology 01.03.2019; 한국발생생물학회
• Subjects: Original Research Paper; 생물학; Head gap gene; buttonhead; Segmentation; Tribolium
• ISSN: 2465-9525; 2465-9541
• DOI: 10.12717/DR.2019.23.1.063

Thehead gap gene ( ) is required for the patterning of head segments in the early embryo. Mutant phenotypes of display a gap-like phenotype in which antennal, intercalary, mandibular and the anterior portion of the maxillary segmentsare eliminated. In agreement with the phenotypes, is expressed in a stripe covering the head segments at the blastoderm stage. During the early phase of the germband extension, is expressed in stripes with single segmental periodicity, which is required for the formation of the peripheral nervous system. In contrast to the key role of in embryonic development, it has been suggested that ortholog of ( ) is dispensable for embryonic head development. In order for better understanding of the requirement of in the early embryo, we re-analyzed the expression patterns and functions of during embryonic segmentation. is expressed in segmental stripes at the stages of blastoderm and germband elongation. Up to 28.3% of embryos in which is knocked down displays the loss of antennal, mandibular and the pregnathal regions in the head, with abdominal segments being disrupted in the trunk. Our findings suggest that is required for the head and trunk development in the early embryo.