Conserved temporal patterns of microRNA expression in Drosophila support a developmental hourglass model.

ABSTRACT: The spatiotemporal control of gene expression is crucial for the successful completion of animal development. The evolutionary constraints on development are particularly strong for the mid-embryonic stage when body segments are specified, as evidenced by a high degree of morphological and protein-coding gene conservation during this period--a phenomenon known as the developmental hourglass. The discovery of microRNA-mediated gene control revealed an entirely new layer of complexity of the molecular networks that orchestrate development. However, the constraints on microRNA developmental expression and evolution, and the implications for animal evolution are less well understood. To systematically explore the conservation of microRNAs during development, we carried out a genome-wide compar

SUBMITTER: Ninova M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4202322 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature