No description available.

Gustatory sensilla in the blowfly Phormia regina contain five phenotypically distinct neurons. The neurons are thought to arise from a common precursor, however, little is known about their lineage or about how each one comes to assume a unique fate. This study examines the possibility that the neurons arise from a repeatedly dividing stem cell, in which case, the neuronal fate may be determined by birth order. To determine if the neurons are born at different times, their times of birth were assessed. This was achieved by using Hydroxyurea to arrest the gustatory neural precursors at different times throughout the development of the sensillum. Thus, each neuron's time of birth, relative to the arrest, was reflected by its presence or absence. The results show that the five neurons are born in a relatively short interval, and hence, cannot arise from five successive divisions of a stem cell. Therefore, the fate of each neuron cannot be determined solely by its time of birth.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Phormia regina (Meigen), commonly known as the black blow fly is a dipteran that belongs to the family Calliphoridae. Calliphorids play an important role in various research fields including ecology, medical studies, veterinary and forensic sciences. P. regina, a non-model organism, is one of the most common forensically relevant insects in North America and is typically used to assist in estimating postmortem intervals (PMI). To better understand the roles P. regina plays in the numerous research fields, we re-constructed its genome using next generation sequencing technologies. The focus was on generating a reference genome through de novo assembly of high-throughput short read sequences. Following assembly, genetic markers were identified in the form of microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to aid in future population genetic surveys of P. regina. A total 530 million 100 bp paired-end reads were obtained from five pooled male and female P. regina flies using the Illumina HiSeq2000 sequencing platform. A 524 Mbp draft genome was assembled using both sexes with 11,037 predicted genes. The draft reference genome assembled from this study provides an important resource for investigating the genetic diversity that exists between and among blow fly species; and empowers the understanding of their genetic basis in terms of adaptations, population structure and evolution. The genomic tools will facilitate the analysis of genome-wide studies using modern genomic techniques to boost a refined understanding of the evolutionary processes underlying genomic evolution between blow flies and other insect species.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The black blow fly, Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae), is a widely abundant fly autochthonous to North America. Like many other Calliphorids, P. regina plays a key role in several disciplines particularly in estimating post-mortem intervals (PMI). The aim of this work was to better understand the population genetic structure of this important ecological species using microsatellites from populations collected in the U.S. during 2008 and 2013. Additionally, it sought to determine the effect of limited genetic diversity on a quantitative trait throughout immature development; larval length, a measurement used to estimate specimen age. Observed heterozygosity was lower than expected at five of the six loci and ranged from 0.529-0.880 compared to expected heterozygosity that ranged from 0.512-0.980, this is indicative of either inbreeding or the presence of null alleles. Kinship coefficients indicate that individuals within each sample are not strongly related to one another; values for the wild-caught populations ranged from 0.033-0.171 and a high proportion of the genetic variation (30%) can be found among samples within regions. The population structure of this species does not correlate well to geography; populations are different to one another resulting from a lack of gene flow irrespective of geographic distance, thus inferring temporal distance plays a greater role on the genetic variation of P. regina. Among colonized samples, flies lost much of their genetic diversity, ≥67% of alleles per locus were lost, and population samples became increasingly more related; kinship coefficient values increased from 0.036 for the wild-caught individuals to 0.261 among the F10 specimens. Colonized larvae also became shorter in length following repeated inbreeding events, with the longest recorded specimen in F1 18.75 mm in length while the longest larva measured in F11 was 1.5 mm shorter at 17.25 mm. This could have major implications in forensic entomology, as the largest specimen is often assumed to be the oldest on the corpse and is subsequently used to estimate a postmortem interval. The reduction in length ultimately resulted in a greater proportion of individuals of a similar length; the range of data became reduced. Consequently, the major reduction in genetic diversity indicates that the loss in the spread of length distributions of the larvae may have a genetic influence or control. Therefore, this data highlights the importance when undertaking either genetic or development studies, particularly of blow flies such as Phormia regina, that collections of specimens and populations take place not only from more than one geographic location, but more importantly from more than one temporal event.