The achaete-scute complex contains a single gene that controls bristle development in the semi-aquatic bugs.

ABSTRACT: The semi-aquatic bugs (Heteroptera, Gerromorpha) conquered water surfaces worldwide and diversified to occupy puddles, ponds, streams, lakes, mangroves and even oceans. Critical to this lifestyle is the evolution of sets of hairs that allow these insects to maintain their body weight on the water surface and protect the animals against wetting and drowning. In addition, the legs of these insects are equipped with various grooming combs that are important for cleaning and tidying the hair layers for optimal functional efficiency. Here we show that the hairs covering the legs of water striders represent innervated bristles. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that in water striders the achaete-scute complex, known to control bristle development in flies, contains only the

SUBMITTER: Finet C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6283939 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature