The forewings and hindwings of an insect often have different structural and functional identities. In beetles, forewings (called elytra) act as protective shields, while the hindwings are used for flight. The Hox gene, Ultrabithorax (Ubx), has a major role in forewing/hindwing differentiation during insect development. Removal of Ubx function causes a homeotic transformation of the hindwings into elytra. We have previously identified unsclerotized elytra (ue), an intriguing strain of the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) that exhibits hindwing tissue on its forewings and forewing tissue on its hindwings (i.e. bidirectional homeotic transformation). I hypothesized that the ue phenotype is caused by a mutation in a partner/cofactor of Ubx that affects forewing/hindwing differentiation during development. In this study, I will document the ue transformation phenotype at the detailed morphological level. Investigating the ue mutant will widen our view of the role of Ubx during forewing/hindwing differentiation and provide us with new insights into the molecular and evolutionary basis that underpins the morphological diversity found among insects. In addition, the project will provide valuable experience in genetics, lab procedures, and the process of scientific inquiry and experimentation, all of which will be useful to me in my future endeavors.
Author: Jack Varallo
Faculty Advisor: Yoshinori Tomoyasu, Department of Biology
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