Chapter 31, Problem 14PIAT

Summary Introduction

To review:

The tagma in which the Ubx gene appears to be expressed.

Introduction:

Ubx or ultrabithorax genes play a critical role as transcription factor in the insects. Furthermore, a tagma defines the specialized grouping of the metameres into a functional morphological unit. The experiment performed by Averof, Patel, and colleagues studied the comparison of ultrabithorax or Ubx-AbdA Hox gene expression in the four crustaceans during their embryonic development for the different thoracic segments. Further, in the diagram given below, maxillipeds are represented by the blue appendages and the legs are represented by the red appendages.

Averof, Patel, and colleagues further studied gene expression of an emerging model organism, an amphipod. The photo at the beginning of this case study shows a ventral view of the expression pattern of Ubx (red area) gene in an amphipod embryo.