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Dermestes maculatus: an intermediate-germ beetle model system for evo-devo

Overview of attention for article published in EvoDevo, October 2015
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  • Above-average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (56th percentile)

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Title
Dermestes maculatus: an intermediate-germ beetle model system for evo-devo
Published in
EvoDevo, October 2015
DOI 10.1186/s13227-015-0028-0
Pubmed ID
Authors

Jie Xiang, Iain S. Forrest, Leslie Pick

Abstract

Understanding how genes change during evolution to direct the development of diverse body plans is a major goal of the evo-devo field. Achieving this will require the establishment of new model systems that represent key points in phylogeny. These new model systems must be amenable to laboratory culture, and molecular and functional approaches should be feasible. To date, studies of insects have been best represented by the model system Drosophila melanogaster. Given the enormous diversity represented by insect taxa, comparative studies within this clade will provide a wealth of information about the evolutionary potential and trajectories of alternative developmental strategies. Here we established the beetle Dermestes maculatus, a member of the speciose clade Coleoptera, as a new insect model system. We have maintained a continuously breeding culture in the lab and documented Dermestes maculatus embryogenesis using nuclear and phalloidin staining. Anterior segments are specified during the blastoderm stage before gastrulation, and posterior segments are added sequentially during germ band elongation. We isolated and studied the expression and function of the pair-rule segmentation gene paired in Dermestes maculatus. In this species, paired is expressed in stripes during both blastoderm and germ band stages: four primary stripes arise prior to gastrulation, confirming an intermediate-germ mode of development for this species. As in other insects, these primary stripes then split into secondary stripes. To study gene function, we established both embryonic and parental RNAi. Knockdown of Dmac-paired with either method resulted in pair-rule-like segmentation defects, including loss of Engrailed expression in alternate stripes. These studies establish basic approaches necessary to use Dermestes maculatus as a model system. Methods are now available for use of this intermediate-germ insect for future studies of the evolution of regulatory networks controlling insect segmentation, as well as of other processes in development and homeostasis. Consistent with the role of paired in long-germ Drosophila and shorter-germ Tribolium, paired functions as a pair-rule segmentation gene in Dermestes maculatus. Thus, paired retains pair-rule function in insects with different modes of segment addition.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 6 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United States 2 33%
Unknown 4 67%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 5 83%
Student > Ph. D. Student 4 67%
Student > Bachelor 3 50%
Student > Master 2 33%
Other 1 17%
Other 1 17%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 9 150%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 3 50%
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine 1 17%
Psychology 1 17%
Medicine and Dentistry 1 17%
Other 0 0%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 18 November 2015.
All research outputs
#7,753,975
of 23,577,654 outputs
Outputs from EvoDevo
#194
of 324 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#95,584
of 281,366 outputs
Outputs of similar age from EvoDevo
#6
of 8 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,577,654 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 44th percentile – i.e., 44% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 324 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 9.6. This one is in the 36th percentile – i.e., 36% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 281,366 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 56% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 8 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has scored higher than 2 of them.