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Updated: Oct 5, 2025

Rearing and Double-stranded RNA-mediated Gene Knockdown in the Hide Beetle, Dermestes maculatus
Published on: December 28, 2016
The Hox gene Antennapedia is essential for wing development in insects
Chunyan Fang1,2, Yaqun Xin1, Tao Sun1
1State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Abstract:
A long-standing view in the field of evo-devo is that insect forewings develop without any Hox gene input. The Hox gene Antennapedia (Antp), despite being expressed in the thoracic segments of insects, has no effect on wing development. This view has been obtained from studies in two main model species: Drosophila and Tribolium. Here, we show that partial loss of function of Antp resulted in reduced and malformed adult wings in Bombyx, Drosophila and Tribolium. Antp mediates wing growth in Bombyx by directly regulating the ecdysteriod biosynthesis enzyme gene (shade) in the wing tissue, which leads to local production of the growth hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone. Additional targets of Antp are wing cuticular protein genes CPG24, CPH28 and CPG9, which are essential for wing development. We propose, therefore, that insect wing development occurs in an Antp-dependent manner. This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
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