Regeneration in Crustaceans and Insects

Penny M Hopkins, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

Published online: April 2001

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0001098

Regeneration of limbs occurs widely in the phylum Arthropoda. Limb nerves, hormones, and local cells/tissues exert control over the rate or nature of limb regeneration in the arthropods.

Keywords: arthropods; crustaceans; insects; regeneration; moulting; autotomy

Figure 1. A comparison of the anatomy of regenerating walking legs in the cockroach, Periplaneta americana, nymph (on the left) and in the adult fiddler crab, Uca pugilator (on the right). In general, the green colour corresponds to the adult cuticle of the limb, and light grey corresponds to muscle tissue. Note that the insect limb regenerates entirely within the adult coxa and trochanter cuticle while the crustacean limb bud emerges from the coxa and grows on the outside of the animal. (a) Limbs prior to loss of limb. C, cuticle of limb; CO, coxal segment of both walking legs; TR, trochanter segment of insect leg; F, femur segment of insect leg; M, merus segment of crustacean leg; Mu, muscles of legs; PN, pedal nerve; b, breakage plane in both limbs; AM, autotomy membrane found in crustacean limb only. (b) Limbs one day after limb loss. a, activated epidermis; e, epidermis; Sc, scab; Pam, proximal part of autotomy membrane in crustaceans; Dam, distal part of autotomy membrane. Other abbreviations as above. (c) Limbs four days after limb loss. a, activated epidermis of blastema; Nc, new cuticle secreted by activated epidermis in crustaceans only. (d) Regenerating limbs about 7 days after limb loss. TI, tibia segment of insect limb; TA, tarsus segment of insect limb; M, newly forming merus segment of crustacean limb. (e) Regenerating limbs about 10 days after limb loss. C, carpus segment of crustacean limb; P, propus segment of crustacean limb. Other abbreviations as given above. (Cockroach regeneration redrawn from Truby 1983.)
Figure 2. Comparison of circulating titres of ecdysteroid hormones in the blood of the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator, and abundance of ecdysteroid receptor mRNA during the moult cycle. Top panel represents levels of total ecdysteroids circulating in the blood of the crab (measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA)) during Drach's stages of moult cycle. C4, anecdysis; D0, and D1–4, pro-ecdysis; E, ecdysis. Adapted from Hopkins et al. (1999). Bottom panel represents abundance of mRNA for crustacean ecdysteroid receptor from Uca pugilator (measured by RNA protection assay) during the moult cycle. Adapted from Chung et al. (1998).
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 References
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    Chung AC-K, Durica DS and Hopkins PM (1998) Tissue-specific patterns and steady-state concentrations of ecdysteroid receptor and retinoid-X receptor mRNA during the molt cycle of the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator. General and Comparative Endocrinology 109: 375–389.
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 Further Reading
    Arai T, Kawasaki K, Kubo T and Natori S (1998) Cloning of cDNA for regenectin, a humoral c-type lectin of Periplaneta americana, and expression of the regenectin gene during leg regeneration. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 28: 987–994.
    Chung AC-K, Durica DS, Clifton SW, Roe BA and Hopkins PM (1998) Cloning of crustacean ecdysteroid receptor and retinoid-X receptor gene homologs and elevation of retinoid-X receptor by retinoic acid. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 139: 209–227.
    Durica DS, Chung AC-K and Hopkins PM (1999) Characterizations of EcR and RXR homologs and receptor expression during the molt cycle in the crab, Uca pugilator. American Zoology 39: 758–773.
    Hoarau F and Hirn M (1981) Effects of amputation and subsequent regeneration of a leg on the duration of the intermoult period and the level of circulating ecdysteroids in Helleria brevicornis (Ground isopod). General and Comparative Endocrinology 43: 96–104.
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    book Hopkins PM (1988) "Control of regeneration in crustaceans". In: Endocrinology of Selected Invertebrate Types, pp. 327–340. New York: Alan R. Liss.
    Hopkins PM (1989) Ecdysteroids and regeneration in the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator. Journal of Experimental Zoology 252: 293–299.
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    Kunieda T, Kurata TS and Natori S (1997) Regulation of Sarophaga imaginal discs in vitro: implication of 20-hydroxyecdysone. Developmental Biology 183: 86–94.
    Madhavan K and Schneiderman HA (1969) Hormonal control of imaginal regeneration in Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera). Biological Bulletin 137: 321–331.

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Regeneration: Invertebrates
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Article Title: Regeneration in Crustaceans and Insects
 
How to Cite close
Hopkins, Penny M(Apr 2001) Regeneration in Crustaceans and Insects. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0001098]