Institute of Insect & Molecular Biology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 400047, China.
Sci China Life Sci. 2011 Feb;54(2):146-51. doi: 10.1007/s11427-010-4128-8. Epub 2011 Feb 14.
hb (hunchback) is a contributing factor in anteroposterior axial patterning of insects. Although the hb function in Locusta migratoria manilensis has been investigated, its expression pattern remains unknown. Here, the mouse polyclonal antibody was produced against Hb fusion protein, and then its expression pattern during oogenesis and embryogenesis of L. migratoria manilensis was examined by immunohistochemical staining. Hb protein was detected in the oocyte nucleus which was positioned centrally within the developing oocyte. The oocyte nucleus gradually moved to the posterior end of the egg along with the oocyte maturing. In freshly laid eggs, Hb formed gradient at the posterior end of the egg, and then hb was expressed as a band in the middle of the blastodisc. As the blastodisc differentiated into the head and trunk, the expression region became wide, which would develop into spatial gnathal and thoracic segments. With abdominal segmentation, the expression domain in the gnathal and thoracic region became faint and eventually faded out, while the Hb expression domain appeared at the posterior growth zone in a discontinuous expression manner. The hb expression pattern of L. migratoria manilensis is greatly similar to that of other locusts, such as Schistocerca americana and another L. migratoria. Compared with other insects, hb expression is conserved in the gnathal and thoracic domains, while divergent in oogenesis and abdomen.
hb（驼背）是昆虫前后轴向模式形成的一个因素。尽管已经研究了 Locusta migratoria manilensis 中的 hb 功能，但它的表达模式仍然未知。在这里，我们针对 Hb 融合蛋白制备了小鼠多克隆抗体，并用免疫组织化学染色法检测了其在 L. migratoria manilensis 卵子发生和胚胎发生过程中的表达模式。Hb 蛋白在卵母细胞核中被检测到，该细胞核位于正在发育的卵母细胞的中央。随着卵母细胞的成熟，卵母细胞核逐渐移到卵子的后端。在刚产下的卵中，Hb 在卵子的后端形成梯度，然后在胚盘的中部表达为一条带。随着胚盘分化为头部和躯干，表达区域变宽，这将发育成空间的咀嚼和胸部节段。随着腹部的分段，咀嚼和胸部区域的表达域变得模糊，最终消失，而 Hb 的表达域以不连续的方式出现在后端生长区。L. migratoria manilensis 的 hb 表达模式与其他蝗虫（如 Schistocerca americana 和另一种 L. migratoria）非常相似。与其他昆虫相比，hb 在咀嚼和胸部区域的表达是保守的，而在卵子发生和腹部的表达是不同的。
