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Differential enlargement of hind (T3) legs represents one of the hallmarks of insect evolution. However, the actual mechanism(s) responsible are yet to be determined. To address this issue, we have now studied the molecular basis of T3 leg enlargement in  Oncopeltus fasciatus  (milkweed bug) and  Acheta domesticus  (house cricket). In  Oncopeltus,  the T3 tibia displays a moderate increase in size, whereas in  Acheta,  the T3 femur, tibia, and tarsus are all greatly enlarged. Here, we show that the hox gene  Ultrabithorax  ( Ubx ) is expressed in the enlarged segments of hind legs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that depletion of  Ubx  during embryogenesis has a primary effect in T3 legs and causes shortening of leg segments that are enlarged in a wild type. This result shows that  Ubx  is regulating the differential growth and enlargement of T3 legs in both  Oncopeltus  and  Acheta . The emerging view suggests that  Ubx  was co-opted for a novel role in regulating leg growth and that the transcriptional modification of its expression may be a universal mechanism for the evolutionary diversification of insect hind legs.

Ubx Regulates Differential Enlargement and Diversification of Insect Hind Legs