Development of functional ectopic compound eyes in scarabaeid beetles by knockdown of orthodenticle.

ABSTRACT: Complex traits like limbs, brains, or eyes form through coordinated integration of diverse cell fates across developmental space and time, yet understanding how complexity and integration emerge from uniform, undifferentiated precursor tissues remains limited. Here, we use ectopic eye formation as a paradigm to investigate the emergence and integration of novel complex structures following massive ontogenetic perturbation. We show that down-regulation via RNAi of a single head patterning gene-orthodenticle-induces ectopic structures externally resembling compound eyes at the middorsal adult head of both basal and derived scarabaeid beetle species (Onthophagini and Oniticellini). Scanning electron microscopy documents ommatidial organization of these induced structures, while immunoh

SUBMITTER: Zattara EE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5692598 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature