Identification of short-germ-specific segmentation genes in Tribolium: We want to identify and functionally analyze novel genes that genes that are required for sequential segmentation in a cellularized environment, as well as genes involved in the setup

我的实验室感兴趣的是了解在短胚昆虫节原基的形成，以及在果蝇的长胚发育模式是如何从这种祖先的机制演变而来的。到目前为止，大多数果蝇分节基因的Tribolium同源物已经被分离并通过RNAi进行了测试。这些基因中的大多数在赤拟谷盗属中也具有关键功能;然而，相当多的基因在赤拟谷盗属的早期发育中没有明显的作用，或者具有令人惊讶的弱表型。另一方面，已经鉴定了两个在拟谷盗中具有分割功能而在果蝇中不具有分割功能的基因：mille-pattes（在Tautz实验室通过EST表达筛选鉴定）和Mex-3（我们发现其为C.基于elegans的候选基因）。显然，拟谷盗和果蝇的分段基因组仅部分重叠，识别缺失的拟谷盗特异性因子至关重要。在这个项目中，我们将重新检查iBeetle筛选中识别的所有分割基因的表型，研究它们在早期胚胎中的表达，并将它们定位在赤拟谷盗分割机制中。基于它们的表型、表达模式和与已知的无脊椎动物或脊椎动物基因的序列同源性，选择一些生殖带模式基因（项目A）和轴决定基因（项目B）进行详细分析。意想不到的和不寻常的基因（如mille-pattes）将获得最高优先级。将通过RNAi测试这些基因与已知的赤拟谷盗属分段基因的相互作用，并且将使用诱导型表达来鉴定它们在生长区中的图案化功能，而不破坏胚带延伸

My lab is interested in understanding the formation of segment primordia in short germ insects, and in how the long germ mode of development in Drosophila evolved from this ancestral mechanism. Up to now, Tribolium homologs of most Drosophila segmentation genes have been isolated and tested by RNAi. The majority of these genes turned out lo have pivotal functions also in Tribolium; quite a few, however, have no obvious role in early Tribolium development, or have surprisingly weak phenotypes. On the other hand, two genes have already been identified which have segmentation functions in Tribolium but not Drosophila: mille-pattes (which was identified by EST expression screening in the Tautz lab) and Mex-3 (which we found as a C. elegans-based candidate gene). Evidently, the segmentation gene sets of Tribolium and Drosophila overlap only partially, and it is crucial lo identify the missing Tribolium-specific factors. In this project we will reexamine the phenotypes of all segmentation genes identified in the iBeetle screen, study their expression in early embryos, and locale them within the Tribolium segmentation machinery. Based on their phenotype, expression pattern and sequence homology lo known invertebrate or vertebrate genes, a few germ band patterning genes (project A) and axis determination genes (project B) will be chosen for in-detail analysis. Unexpected and unusual genes (like mille-pattes) will receive highest priority. Interaction of these genes with known Tribolium segmentation genes will be tested by RNAi, and inducible expression will be used lo identify their patterning functions in the growth zone without disrupting germ band elongation