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Functional conservation and divergence of BMP ligands in limb development and lipid homeostasis of holometabolous insects
Author(s) -
Namigai Erica K. O.,
Suzuki Yuichiro
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
evolution and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.651
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1525-142X
pISSN - 1520-541X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-142x.2012.546.x
Subject(s) - biology , gene knockdown , metamorphosis , microbiology and biotechnology , decapentaplegic , homeostasis , phenotype , lipid metabolism , bone morphogenetic protein , rna interference , larva , genetics , rna , biochemistry , botany , gene , imaginal disc
SUMMARY Bone morphogenetic protein ( BMP ) ligands play key roles in regulating morphological and physiological traits. To investigate how the functions of BMP ligands have evolved among insects, the roles of two key BMP ligands, decapentaplegic ( dpp ) and glass bottom boat ( gbb ), were studied in the flour beetle, T ribolium castaneum . RNA interference‐mediated knockdown revealed that the role of dpp in establishing limb segmentation is conserved among insects. Based on the expression pattern of dpp in the presumptive leg tarsal segments, we propose that the function of dpp has evolved through heterochronic changes during the evolution of complete metamorphosis. G bb1 was found to be necessary for sculpting the tarsal segment morphology characteristic of beetles. Knockdown of D pp and G bb1 expression also resulted in transparent larvae and reduced triglyceride levels, indicating their critical roles in maintaining lipid homeostasis. Both knockdown phenotypes were mediated by larval translucida . Because only G bb regulates lipid metabolism in D rosophila , regulation of lipid homeostasis appears to have evolved by developmental systems drift. Thus, developmental systems drift may underlie evolution of both morphology and physiological processes.