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短胚昆虫中片段原基的形成，以及果蝇的长胚发育模式如何从这种祖先机制进化而来。到目前为止，大多数果蝇片段基因的Tribolium同源物已经被分离出来并通过RNAi进行了检测。这些基因中的大多数在Tribolium中也具有关键功能；然而，相当多的基因在早期Tribolium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，已经确定的两个基因在Tribolium中具有片段功能，而在果蝇中没有：mille- pates（在Tautz实验室通过EST表达筛选确定）和mex3（我们发现这是一个基于秀丽隐杆线虫的候选基因）。显然，Tribolium和Drosophila的片段基因集只有部分重叠，因此确定Tribolium特异性因子是至关重要的。在这个项目中，我们将重新检查在iBeetle筛选中发现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Tribolium分割机器中。根据已知的无脊椎动物或脊椎动物基因的表型、表达模式和序列同源性，选择少数胚芽带模式基因（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（如千分型）将获得最高的优先权。这些基因与已知Tribolium分割基因的相互作用将通过RNAi进行检测，诱导表达将用于鉴定其在生长区内的模式功能，而不会破坏胚带伸长

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