A subject of extensive study in evolutionary theory has been the issue of how neutral,
redundant copies can be maintained in the genome for long periods of time. Concurrently …

Polyphenism, in which multiple discrete phenotypes develop from a single genotype, is
considered to have contributed to the evolutionary success of aphids. Of the various …

Aphids are important agricultural pests and also biological models for studies of insect-plant
interactions, symbiosis, virus vectoring, and the developmental causes of extreme …

Background Recent genomic analyses of arthropod defense mechanisms suggest
conservation of key elements underlying responses to pathogens, parasites and stresses. At …

Genome structural variations, including duplications, deletions, insertions, and inversions,
are central in the evolution of eukaryotic genomes. However, structural variations present …

The symbiosis of the pea aphid Acyrthosphion pisum with the bacterium Buchnera
aphidicola APS represents the best-studied insect obligate symbiosis. Here we present a …

Abstract Background The Hemiptera (aphids, cicadas, and true bugs) are a key insect order,
with high diversity for feeding ecology and excellent experimental tractability for molecular …

Abstract Background The Wnt genes encode secreted glycoprotein ligands that regulate a
wide range of developmental processes, including axis elongation and segmentation. There …

The gene regulatory network (GRN) underpinning dorsal–ventral (DV) patterning of the
Drosophila embryo is among the most thoroughly understood GRNs, making it an ideal …

RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely and successfully used for gene inactivation in
insects, including aphids, where dsRNA administration can be performed either by feeding …