同源异形盒基因及其在昆虫幼虫腹足发育生物学研究中的应用

Homeobox genes and their application in the studies of developmental biology of prolegs of larval insects

同源异形盒基因(homeobox genes)是一类具有180 bp保守序列的基因,在生物发育的调控中起着重要作用。昆虫幼虫的腹足在位置和数目上均表现出丰富的多样性,使其成为进化发育生物学研究的主要对象之一。通过对昆虫幼虫腹足发育过程中相关同源异形盒基因的研究,既可了解腹足的发育机制,又可加深对同源异形盒基因进化和功能的理解。本文简要介绍同源异形盒基因的概况,重点总结了同源异形盒基因在昆虫幼虫腹足发育方面的研究进展,包括通过相关同源异形盒基因时空表达模式来揭示腹足的附肢起源、腹足发育的调控通路中相关同源异形盒基因的功能和进化等,尤其是腹部Hox家族基因对Distal-less基因的抑制作用及其在不同昆虫类群中的进化,以及该领域目前存在的主要争议,期望为相关研究提供参考。

Homeobox genes possess a conserved sequence of 180 bp and play a crucial role in the developmental regulation of organisms.The abdominal prolegs of larval insects become an important model for the study of evolutionary developmental biology due to their abundant diversity.Studies of homeobox genes related to proleg development help reveal the developmental mechanisms and promote our understanding of the evolution and functions of homeobox genes.This article briefly introduces the research advances of homeobox genes and summarizes the studies of insect proleg development,including the origin and development pattern of prolegs based on the temporal and spatial expression patterns of related homeobox genes,the functions and evolution of homeobox genes,especially the repression of Distal-less by Hox genes and their evolution among various insect groups,and the controversial issues in this field,so as to provide some insights for the related research.