Abstract
Tribolium castaneum is a small and low maintenance beetle that has emerged as a most suitable insect model for studying developmental biology and functional genetic analysis. Diverse population genetic studies have been conducted using Tribolium as the principal model to establish basic facts and principles of inbreeding experiments and response to the selection and other quantitative genetics fundamentals. The advanced molecular genetic studies presently focused on the use of Tribolium as a typical invertebrate model for higher diploid eukaryotes. After a whole genome sequencing of Tribolium, many areas of functional genomics were unraveled, which enabled the use of it in many technical approaches of genomics. The present text reviews the use of Tribolium in techniques such as RNAi, transgenic studies, immune priming, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, gene sequencing for characterization of microRNAs, and gene editing using engineered endonuclease. In contrast to Drosophila, the T. castaneum holds a robust systemic RNAi response, which makes it an excellent model for comparative functional genetic studies.
Highlights
Red flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum), in the order Coleoptera, is the very model of higher diploid animals
The present text reviews the use of Tribolium in techniques such as RNAi, transgenic studies, immune priming, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, gene sequencing for characterization of microRNAs, and gene editing using engineered endonuclease
This review presents the findings and works carried out in Tribolium genetics since the 1920s, which extends from population studies to present-day advance molecular genetics and its future prospects
Summary
Red flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum), in the order Coleoptera, is the very model of higher diploid animals. Since there is a lack of robust systemic RNAi response in Drosophila [13], Tribolium is insect model of choice specific for gene activity knockdown during different developmental stages. This refers to initiate RNAi by exposing dsRNA to the environment through soaking or feeding. Phenotypes of concern can be readily identified by molecular techniques from Tribolium genome, asserting readily identification of genes that are likely to be affected by transposons insertion Using these protocols and methods, a large-scale insertional mutagenesis project is established in the USA and Germany called the GEKU screen, and so far, they have generated more than 550 lethal and 600 enhancer trap lines (http://www.geku-base.uni-goettingen.de/). This enables the construction of null genes and any allele by stimulating DNA repair mechanisms using DNA sequence-specific endonuclease activity (Table-1) [26]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
