Tergal glands are complex structures involved in sex attraction that form during adult morphogenesis. Therefore, they are possibly suitable structures to study the molecular basis of a morphogenetic process occurring during metamorphosis.

Using German cockroaches as model, Blattella germanica, scientists at the IBE have constructed transcriptomes from tergal glands sternites in non-metamorphosing and in metamorphosing specimens, and they compared them in order to identify factors contributing to the morphogenetic process.

The results show that transcription factors are important drivers of the process of tergal gland formation during metamorphosis. At present, scientists are still studying from a functional point of view the most promising factors emerging from this study.

Reference Article: Belles X, Ylla G (2015). Towards understanding the molecular basis of cockroach tergal gland morphogenesis. A transcriptomic approach. Insect Biochem Mol Biol