Researchers at the Institute for Evolutionary Biology (IBE, CSIC-UPF) and IRB Barcelona have identified the Chinmo gene as crucial for establishing the juvenile stage in insects. Published in the journal eLife, the study involved fruit flies and cockroaches, revealing that Chinmo not only promotes growth during the juvenile phase but also keeps cells undifferentiated, delaying the transition to the pupal stage. The research also highlights the roles of Br-C and E93 genes, which are involved in regulatory processes related to maturation and have been linked to cancerous behavior in both insects and mammals.
By deleting Chinmo in Drosophila, researchers noted early progression to the adult stage, underscoring its importance. Chinmo and Br-C belong to the BTB-ZF transcription factor family, implicated in cancer; while Chinmo acts as an oncogenic precursor by promoting tissue growth without differentiation, Br-C and E93 serve as tumor suppressors. Notably, the study provides insights into the evolutionary process of metamorphosis, indicating that the regulatory functions of these genes have been conserved across diverse insect species, suggesting how complete metamorphosis evolved from simpler life cycles. This understanding could inform future cancer research.
