Distal-less homeobox genes of insects and spiders： genomic organization, function, regulation and evolution

• Published in: Insect science Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 335 - 352
• Main Authors: Chen, Bin, Piel, William H., Monteiro, Antónia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-06-2016; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Araneae; Arthropoda; Caenorhabditis elegans; Distal-less; Drosophila; evolution; Evolution, Molecular; function; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genes; Genes, Homeobox; Genes, Insect; Genome, Insect; genomic organization; Humans; Insecta - genetics; Insects; Metazoa; Nematoda; Nematoda - genetics; Nematodes; regulation; Spiders - genetics; 同源基因; 同源结构域; 基因组结构; 昆虫; 演化; 节肢动物类群; 蜘蛛; 远端; evolution; genomic organization; regulation; Distal-less; function
• ISSN: 1672-9609; 1744-7917
• DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12327

The Distal‐less (Dll) genes are homeodomain transcription factors that are present in most Metazoa and in representatives of all investigated arthropod groups. In Drosophila, the best studied insect, Dll plays an essential role in forming the proximodistal axis of the legs, antennae and analia, and in specifying antennal identity. The initiation of Dll expression in clusters of cells in mid‐lateral regions of the Drosophila embryo represents the earliest genetic marker of limbs. Dll genes are involved in the development of the peripheral nervous system and sensitive organs, and they also function as master regulators of black pigmentation in some insect lineages. Here we analyze the complete genomes of six insects, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and Homo sapiens, as well as multiple Dll sequences available in databases in order to examine the structure and protein features of these genes. We also review the function, expression, regulation and evolution of arthropod Dll genes with emphasis on insects and spiders.