| Abstract |
The wing-deficient mutant, flügellos (fl), of the silkworm lacks four wings in the pupa and the adult, due to aberrant wing morphogenesis during metamorphosis. To elucidate the mechanisms of wing-specific deficiencies in the fl mutant, we used mRNA differential display and identified five genes abnormally expressed in the fl wing discs. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses revealed that four genes were overexpressed, but the fifth one was not transcribed in the fl wing discs. The expression level of ribosome-associated protein p40 in the fl wing discs was elevated approximately 10 times compared to the wild-type (WT) discs. Another overexpressed gene CB10 encodes a novel wing-specific protein with a putative zinc-finger motif. Overexpression of two components of extracellular matrix, cuticle protein 18 (BMCP18) and a fibrillin-like protein AD10, may result in the abnormal wing morphogenesis in the fl mutant. In contrast, a novel member of multifunctional Ca2+-binding protein annexins, designated as annexin b13 (Anx b13), was expressed dominantly in the wing discs of WT but completely repressed in the fl tissues. Strong expression of Anx b13 in wing discs during the fourth and fifth instar indicates that ANX B13 plays an important role in wing morphogenesis.
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