Embryo Polarity in Moth Flies and Mosquitoes Relies on Distinct Old Genes with Localized Transcript Isoforms

Overview

Journal Elife

Specialty Biology

Date 2019 Oct 9

PMID 31591963

Citations 17

Authors

Yoseop Yoon

Jeff Klomp

Ines Martin-Martin

Frank Criscione

Eric Calvo

Jose Ribeiro

Urs Schmidt-Ott

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Unrelated genes establish head-to-tail polarity in embryos of different fly species, raising the question of how they evolve this function. We show that in moth flies (, ), a maternal transcript isoform of is localized in the anterior egg and adopted the role of anterior determinant without essential protein change. Additionally, lost maternal germ plasm, which contributes to embryo polarity in fruit flies (). In culicine (, Aedes) and anopheline mosquitoes (Anopheles), embryo polarity rests on a previously unnamed zinc finger gene (), or (), respectively. These genes also localize an alternative transcript isoform at the anterior egg pole. Basal-branching crane flies () also enrich maternal transcript at the anterior egg pole, suggesting that functioned as ancestral axis determinant in flies. In conclusion, flies evolved an unexpected diversity of anterior determinants, and alternative transcript isoforms with distinct expression can adopt fundamentally distinct developmental roles.

Citing Articles

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