A graded efect of Caudal in the embryonic patterning of Rhodnius prolixus”

• ESPONDA BEHERENS, N; PAGOLA, L; LAVORE, A; RIVERA POMAR, R.

Santa Cruz

Encuentro; V International Meeting of the Latin American Society of Developmental Biology (LASDB); 2010

Latin American Society of Developmental Biology (LASDB)

Comparative developmental genetics of hemipterans will contribute to the understanding of insect body plan evolution. The model hemipteran organism, Oncopeltus fasciatus, has provided insights on the developmental processes. However, as Oncopeltus genome is not sequenced so far, we miss the link to comparative genomics. A draft of the genome of Rhodnius prolixus, another hemipteran with similar embryologycal processes, is almost completed. We used the genomic data to identify genes involved in developmental processes and their regulatory relationships. We cloned new homeobox-containing genes from R. prolixus and O. fasciatus: two partial homeobox sequences in R.prolixus and another two in Oncopeltus; one of the R.prolixus sequences was identified as a sex combs reduced (scr) ortholog. The transcription unit and nearby regulatory sequence were identified. We identified in silico the ultrabithorax, abdominal A and deformed orthologs and other homeobox-containing putative transcription units. On the other hand, other components of the developmental transcriptional cascades were identified such as hunchback and Krüppel. We compared those genes with other insect orthologs to determine hypothetical evolutionary relationships among different insect orders and possible regulatory networks using a systems biology approach.