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Comparative analysis of circadian clock genes in insects
Author(s) -
Sandrelli F.,
Costa R.,
Kyriacou C. P.,
Rosato E.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
insect molecular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.955
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2583
pISSN - 0962-1075
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2008.00832.x
Subject(s) - biology , clock , circadian clock , insect , diapause , gene , phenotype , evolutionary biology , molecular clock , orthoptera , genetics , circadian rhythm , ecology , neuroscience , phylogenetics , larva
Summary After a slow start, the comparative analysis of clock genes in insects has developed into a mature area of study in recent years. Brain transplant or surgical interventions in larger insects defined much of the early work in this area, before the cloning of clock genes became possible. We discuss the evolution of clock genes, their key sequence differences, and their likely modes of regulation in several different insect orders. We also present their expression patterns in the brain, focusing particularly on Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera, the most common non‐genetic model insects studied. We also highlight the adaptive involvement of clock molecules in other complex phenotypes which require biological timing, such as social behaviour, diapause and migration.