| Abstrakt: |
Biology requires comparisons between species to infer general concepts. In insects, most of the information comes from a few species, notably from the fly Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we propose the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, as a model for comparative studies, given the abundant information available on its biology. Most data refer to development and reproduction in an endocrine context. This review is based, therefore, on those topics. The main hormones involved and their functions are described, from juvenile hormones and ecdysteroids to peptide hormones, such as allatostatins, orcokinins, and insulin-like peptides. Two types of non-coding RNAs, namely miRNAs and piRNAs, are also commented regarding identification and biological functions. Concerning development, we review data on embryogenesis, nymphal growth, molting, wing morphogenesis, and metamorphosis. About reproduction, after describing the reproductive system, we review the most important functional processes, with emphasis on oogenesis, vitellogenesis, and choriogenesis. The data available has been obtained with diverse tools and resources. Thus, the sequenced genome, systems to measure the most important hormones, RNAi and CRISPR methodologies, several mRNA and ncRNA libraries, and a cell line are available to work with B. germanica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
