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Published on: February 28, 2021
Evolutionary conservation and divergence of the segmentation process in arthropods
1Institut für Genetik der Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 47, 50674 Köln, Germany. damen@uni-koeln.de
Summary
Arthropod segmentation evolved from successive segment addition to simultaneous formation. Key pair rule gene activation is conserved across arthropods, revealing evolutionary pathways.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Arthropod body plan characterized by metameric units.
- Segmentation established during early embryogenesis.
- Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) segmentation paradigm is a derived mode.
Purpose of the Study:
- Review evolutionary conservation and divergence of arthropod segmentation mechanisms.
- Elucidate the evolutionary scenario of segmentation mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of segmentation gene networks across arthropods.
- Focus on conserved and diverged aspects of gene regulation.
- Integration of findings from recent research.
Main Results:
- Downstream segmentation genes (e.g., segment polarity genes) show higher conservation than upstream genes (gap genes, Notch/Delta signaling).
- Basally branching arthropods share similarities with vertebrate somitogenesis.
- Pair rule gene ortholog activation is a conserved key step in arthropod segmentation.
Conclusions:
- Evolutionary scenario of arthropod segmentation mechanisms can be drawn.
- Mechanisms evolved from ancestral successive addition to derived simultaneous formation.
- Understanding segmentation provides insights into insect group diversity.
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