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Knockdown of Parhyale Ultrabithorax recapitulates evolutionary changes in crustacean appendage morphology
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
  • Danielle M. Liubicich, Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley
  • Julia M. Serano, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Center for Integrative Genomics, University of California, Berkeley
  • Anastasios Pavlopoulos, Laboratory for Development and Evolution, Department of Zoology, University Museum of Zoology
  • Zacharias Kontarakis, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
  • Meredith E. Protas, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Center for Integrative Genomics, University of California, Berkeley
  • Elaine Kwan, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Center for Integrative Genomics, University of California, Berkeley
  • Sandip Chatterjee, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Center for Integrative Genomics, University of California, Berkeley
  • Khoa D. Tran, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Center for Integrative Genomics, University of California, Berkeley
  • Michalis Averof, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
  • Nipam H. Patel, Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-18-2009
Department
Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Abstract

Crustaceans possess remarkably diverse appendages, both between segments of a single individual as well as between species. Previous studies in a wide range of crustaceans have demonstrated a correlation between the anterior expression boundary of the homeotic (Hox) gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx) and the location and number of specialized thoracic feeding appendages, called maxillipeds. Given that Hox genes regulate regional identity in organisms as diverse as mice and flies, these observations in crustaceans led to the hypothesis that Ubx expression regulates the number of maxillipeds and that evolutionary changes in Ubx expression have generated various aspects of crustacean appendage diversity. Specifically, evolutionary changes in the expression boundary of Ubx have resulted in crustacean species with either 0, 1, 2, or 3 pairs of thoracic maxillipeds. Here we test this hypothesis by altering the expression of Ubx in Parhyale hawaiensis, a crustacean that normally possesses a single pair of maxillipeds. By reducing Ubx expression, we can generate Parhyale with additional maxillipeds in a pattern reminiscent of that seen in other crustacean species, and these morphological alterations are maintained as the animals molt and mature. These results provide critical evidence supporting the proposition that changes in Ubx expression have played a role in generating crustacean appendage diversity and lend general insights into the mechanisms of morphological evolution.

Rights

Copyright © 2009 The Author(s)

PubMed ID
19666517
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International
Citation Information
Danielle M. Liubicich, Julia M. Serano, Anastasios Pavlopoulos, Zacharias Kontarakis, et al.. "Knockdown of Parhyale Ultrabithorax recapitulates evolutionary changes in crustacean appendage morphology" Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Vol. 106 Iss. 33 (2009) p. 13892 - 13896 ISSN: 1091-6490
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/meredith-protas/8/