MSc Student
Advisor: Andreas Wanninger

Unit for Integrative Zoology, Department of Evolutionary Biology
University of Vienna

Abstract

Segmentation genes are the set of genes that establish body segmentation during development in segmented animals such as insects. Interestingly, homologs of these genes are also expressed in non-segmented animals, suggesting broader developmental roles. During my Master's thesis, I will investigate the expression patterns of selected segmentation genes in the polyplacophoran mollusk Acanthochitona fascicularis. Previous studies show that the spatio-temporally coordinated expression of the segment polarity genes engrailed, wingless, and hedgehog is specific to insects and not comparable to all annelid’s segmentation. Moreover, these genes are also involved —individually or in combination—in tissue boundary patterning in brachiopods. On this context, the hypothesis of the project is that segment polarity genes contribute to tissue boundary formation in chitons. To test this, I will conduct whole-mount in situ hybridization using specifically designed probes targeting the homologous segment polarity genes in A. fascicularis. The results of this study are expected to provide valuable insights into the roles of segmentation genes in non-segmented organisms.