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SUMMARY:Patterning of the anterior non-segmented part of the insect head -
  Gregor Bucher\, Georg August University Göttingen\, Germany
DTSTART:20111102T130000Z
DTEND:20111102T140000Z
UID:TALK33884@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Vera Hunnekuhl
DESCRIPTION:Patterning of the anterior non-segmented part of the insect he
 ad \n\nNico Posnien\, Sebastian Kittelmann\, Johannes Schinko\, Nikolaus K
 oniszewski\, Georg Oberhofer\, Gregor Bucher\n\nThe insect head is compose
 d of several segments and anterior non-segmental tissue. While pattern for
 mation of the segmented part of the body is well understood in Drosophila\
 , patterning of the anterior non-segmental region remains enigmatic. We us
 e the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum as model for head development b
 ecause of its insect typical non-involuted larval head. \n\nIn order to id
 entify genes involved in anterior patterning\, we systematically investiga
 ted expression and function of orthologs of vertebrate neural plate patter
 ning genes in Tribolium. We find that most of them are expressed in the pr
 eocular part of the head in patterns similar to the neural plate. Further\
 , most of them are required for head epidermis development. This approach 
 has identified Tc-six3 as novel upstream regulator required for the develo
 pment of the anterior most parts of the insect head. Specifically\, Tc-six
 3 regulates Tc-otd1\, Tc-ey/Pax6 and Tc-wg and upon RNAi\, anterior median
  embryonic tissue including the labrum anlagen is lost. Further\, neuroend
 ocrine markers like Tc-chx and Tc-fas are missing in Tc-six3 RNAi embryos 
 suggesting a role in neuroendocrine development like in vertebrates.\n\nIn
  addition\, we find a second region in the non-segmental head\, which is p
 atterned by a different set of genes. It comprises an anterior median wedg
 e shaped domain separating the head lobes and containing the anlagen of th
 e labrum\, and the mouth opening. This region is – in contrast to the pr
 eocular region mentioned above - largely non-neural. We find that Tc-six3\
 , Tc-crocodile and Tc-cap´n´collar are the most upstream components of i
 ts patterning network.\n\nWhile our candidate gene approach has been highl
 y fruitful it will not identify a comprehensive set of insect head pattern
 ing genes. In order to gain such a comprehensive list\, we screen for head
  defects in the genome wide RNAi screen “iBeetle” which is currently b
 eing carried out in Göttingen and Erlangen.\n
LOCATION:Part II Lecture Theatre\, Department of Zoology
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