Meeting Abstract

99.1  Wednesday, Jan. 7  Distal-less regulates developmental stability in the flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum SUZUKI, Yuichiro*; SQUIRES, Diego C.; RIDDIFORD, Lynn M.; Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA; University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Janelia Farms, Janelia Farm, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashbrun, VA ysuzuki@wellesley.edu

Organisms have an amazing capacity to develop normally in the face of environmental and genetic perturbations. The mechanism underlying developmental stability remains elusive. Here we examined the role of Distal-less (Dll) in mid-larval stages of the flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. We found that removal of Dll expression during this period resulted in dramatic unpatterned proliferation and loss of structural integrity and identity of larval appendages, leading to the formation of blastema-like tissues. A large amount of variability in appendage morphology was observed following Dll dsRNA injection, unlike larvae injected with dachshund dsRNA. These Dll dsRNA-injected larvae underwent numerous supernumerary molts, which could be terminated with injection of either JH methyltransferase or Methoprene-tolerant dsRNA. We suggest that effects of local tissue instability accumulate in the absence of Dll, leading to a wound response in the appendages. Thus, Dll appears act to maintain developmental stability in the larval appendages. Supported by NIH 2R01 GM60122.