The iBeetle large-scale RNAi screen reveals gene functions for insect development and physiology

Schmitt-Engel C, Schultheis D, Schwirz J, Ströhlein N, Troelenberg N, Majumdar U, Dao VA, Grossmann D, Richter T, Tech M, Doenitz J, Gerischer L, Theis M, Schild I, Trauner J, Koniszewski NDB, Kuester E, Kittelmann S, Hu Y, Lehmann S, Siemanowski J, Ulrich J, Panfilio KA, Schroeder R, Morgenstern B, Stanke M, Buchhholz F, Frasch M, Roth S, Wimmer EA, Schoppmeier M, Klingler M, Bucher G (2015)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2015

Journal

Nature Communications Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Book Volume: 6

Article Number: 7822

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8822

Abstract

Genetic screens are powerful tools to identify the genes required for a given biological process. However, for technical reasons, comprehensive screens have been restricted to very few model organisms. Therefore, although deep sequencing is revealing the genes of ever more insect species, the functional studies predominantly focus on candidate genes previously identified in Drosophila, which is biasing research towards conserved gene functions. RNAi screens in other organisms promise to reduce this bias. Here we present the results of the iBeetle screen, a large-scale, unbiased RNAi screen in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, which identifies gene functions in embryonic and postembryonic development, physiology and cell biology. The utility of Tribolium as a screening platform is demonstrated by the identification of genes involved in insect epithelial adhesion. This work transcends the restrictions of the candidate gene approach and opens fields of research not accessible in Drosophila.

Authors with CRIS profile

Dorothea Schultheis Lehrstuhl für Entwicklungsbiologie Christian Schmitt-Engel Lehrstuhl für Entwicklungsbiologie Nadi Ströhlein Lehrstuhl für Entwicklungsbiologie Nicole Troelenberg Professur für Entwicklungsbiologie Upalparna Majumdar Lehrstuhl für Entwicklungsbiologie Tobias Richter Lehrstuhl für Entwicklungsbiologie Jochen Trauner Lehrstuhl für Entwicklungsbiologie Manfred Frasch Lehrstuhl für Entwicklungsbiologie Michael Schoppmeier Lehrstuhl für Entwicklungsbiologie Martin Klingler Professur für Entwicklungsbiologie

Involved external institutions

Universität zu Köln DE Germany (DE) Georg-August-Universität Göttingen DE Germany (DE) Technische Universität Dresden DE Germany (DE) Universität Greifswald DE Germany (DE) Universität Rostock DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Schmitt-Engel, C., Schultheis, D., Schwirz, J., Ströhlein, N., Troelenberg, N., Majumdar, U.,... Bucher, G. (2015). The iBeetle large-scale RNAi screen reveals gene functions for insect development and physiology. Nature Communications, 6. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8822

MLA:

Schmitt-Engel, Christian, et al. "The iBeetle large-scale RNAi screen reveals gene functions for insect development and physiology." Nature Communications 6 (2015).

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