In the fly Drosophila melanogaster, a hierarchic segmentation gene cascade patterns the anterior-posterior body axis of the developing embryo. Within this cascade, the pair-rule genes (PRGs) transform the more uniform patterning of the higher-level genes into a metameric pattern that first represents double-segmental units, and then, in a second step, represents a true segmental pattern. Within the PRG network, primary PRGs regulate secondary PRGs that are directly involved in the regulation of the next lower level, the segment-polarity genes (SPGs). While the complement of primary PRGs is different in Drosophila and the beetle Tribolium, another arthropod model organism, both paired (prd) and sloppy-paired (slp), acts as secondary PRGs. In earlier studies, the interaction of PRGs and the role of the single slp ortholog in Tribolium have been investigated in some detail revealing conserved and diverged aspects of PRG function. In this study, I present the identification and the analysis of embryonic expression patterns of a second slp gene (called slp2) in Tribolium. While the previously identified gene, slp, is expressed in a typical PRG pattern, expression of slp2 is more similar to that of the downstream-acting SPGs, and shows expression similarities to slp2 in Drosophila. The previously reported differences between the function of slp in Drosophila and Tribolium may partially account for the function of the newly identified second slp paralog in Tribolium, and it may therefore be advised to conduct further studies on PRG function in the beetle.

中文翻译：

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甲虫Tribolium castaneum中成对配对的成对规则基因的第二个迄今为止迄今无法识别的旁系同源物的胚胎表达模式。

在果蝇果蝇中，一个分层的分割基因级联在发育中的胚胎的前后身体轴上形成图案。在此级联内，成对规则基因（PRG）将更高级别的基因的更均匀模式转换为一个同分异构模式，该模式首先代表双节段单元，然后在第二步中代表真实的分段模式。在PRG网络中，初级PRG调节直接参与下一个较低水平的区段极性基因（SPG）调节的次级PRG。果蝇和甲虫Tribolium是主要PRGs的互补基因，而另一种节肢动物模型生物是配对（prd）和松散配对（slp），充当辅助PRG。在较早的研究中，已对PRG的相互作用以及Tribolium中单个slp直系同源物的作用进行了详细研究，揭示了PRG功能的保守和不同之处。在这项研究中，我提出了Tribolium中第二个slp基因（称为slp2）的胚胎表达模式的鉴定和分析。虽然先前鉴定的基因slp以典型的PRG模式表达，但slp2的表达与下游作用SPG的表达更为相似，并在果蝇中显示出与slp2的表达相似性。的功能之间的先前报告的差异SLP在果蝇和赤可以部分地解释在新识别的第二SLP旁系同源物的功能赤，因此，它可能会建议在甲虫上PRG功能进行进一步的研究。