Evolution and Developmental Biology lab
Throughout the Earth’s history, evolution has developed a great number of different organisms with an incredible variety of forms and sizes. These morphologies are tailored during development by modifying the expression pattern of key genes and by the modulation of hormone activation. The main goal of this lab is, therefore, to understand how changes in gene and hormone regulation affect morphology evolution, particularly in relation to the origin of insect metamorphosis. The Evolution and Developmental Biology lab addresses these questions by comparing the development and metamorphosis of Drosophila melanogaster, Tribolium castaneum and Thermobia domestica.
Liu D-D, Smagghe G, Halberg KV, Cruz J, Franch-Marro X, Martín D. 2025. RNAi in the Red Flour Beetle (Tribolium castaneum): Current Status and Future Perspectives. In: Smagghe G, Palli SR, Swevers L, editors. RNA interference in Agriculture: Basic Science to Applications. Cham: Springer; p. 183-248. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-81549-2_10
Mantica F, Iñiguez LP, Marquez Y, Permanyer J, Torres-Mendez A, Cruz J, Franch-Marro X, Tulenko F, Burguera D, Bertrand S, Doyle T, Nouzova M, Currie PD, Noriega FG, Escriva H, Arnone MI, Albertin CB, Wotton KR, Almudi I, Martin D, Irimia M. 2024. Evolution of tissue-specific expression of ancestral genes across vertebrates and insects. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 8(6):1140-1153. DOI:10.1038/s41559-024-02398-5
Cruz J, Ureña E, Iñiguez LP, Irimia M, Franch-Marro X, Martín D. 2024. E93 controls adult differentiation by repressing broad in Drosophila. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(51):2017. DOI:10.1073/pnas.2403162121
Cruz J, Maestro O, Franch-Marro X, Martín D. 2023. Nuclear receptors EcR-A/RXR and HR3 control early embryogenesis in the short-germ hemimetabolous insect Blattella germanica. iScience, 26(4):106548. DOI:10.1016/j.isci.2023.106548
Chafino S, Salvia R, Cruz J, Martín D, Franch-Marro X. 2023. TGFß/activin-dependent activation of Torso controls the timing of the metamorphic transition in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. PLOS Genetics, 19(11):e1010897. DOI:10.1371/journal.pgen.1010897
Chafino S, Giannios P, Casanova J, Martin D, Franch-Marro X. 2023. Antagonistic role of the BTB-zinc finger transcription factors chinmo and broad-complex in the juvenile/pupal transition and in growth control. eLife, 12. DOI:10.7554/eLife.84648
Martín D. 2021. Adult specifier E93 takes control of reproductive cyclicity in mosquitoes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118 (12):1-3. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2102059118
Martín D, Chafino S, Franch-Marro X. 2021. How stage identity is established in insects: the role of the Metamorphic Gene Network. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 43:29–38. DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.10.002
Martin D, Franch-Marro X. 2021. Editorial overview: Development and regulation: from heresy to the molecular understanding of the metamorphic transformation. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 43: iii–v. DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.03.007
Chafino S, Martín D, Franch-Marro X. 2021. Activation of EGFR signaling by Tc-Vein and Tc-Spitz regulates the metamorphic transition in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. Scientific Reports, 11(1):18807. DOI:10.1038/s41598-021-98334-9
Cruz J, Martín D, Franch-Marro X. 2020. Egfr Signaling Is a Major Regulator of Ecdysone Biosynthesis in the Drosophila Prothoracic Gland. Current Biology, 30(8):1547-1554. DOI: 10.3390/life10020014
Lin X, De Schutter K, Chafino S, Franch-Marro X, Martín D, Smagghe G. 2019. Target of rapamycin (TOR) determines appendage size during pupa formation of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. Journal of Insect Physiology, 117. DOI:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103902
De Miguel C, Cruz J, Martín D, Franch-Marro X. 2019. Dual role of FGF in proliferation and endoreplication of Drosophila tracheal adult progenitor cells. Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, 12(1):32-41. DOI:10.1093/jmcb/mjz055
Chafino S, Ureña E, Casanova J, Casacuberta E, Franch-Marro X, Martín D. 2019. Upregulation of E93 Gene Expression Acts as the Trigger for Metamorphosis Independently of the Threshold Size in the Beetle Tribolium castaneum. Cell Reports, 27(4):1039-1049. DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2019.03.094.
Martínez R, Esteve-Codina A, Herrero-Nogareda L, Ortiz-Villanueva E, Barata C, Tauler R, Raldúa D, Piña B, Navarro-Martín L. 2018. Dose-dependent transcriptomic responses of zebrafish eleutheroembryos to Bisphenol A. Environmental Pollution, 243:988-997. DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.043
Chafino S, López-Escardó D, Benelli G, Kovac H, Casacuberta E, Franch-Marro X, Kathirithamby J, Martín D. 2018. Differential expression of the adult specifier E93 in the strepsipteran Xenos vesparum Rossi suggests a role in female neoteny. Scientific Reports, 8(1):1-11. DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-32611-y
Campbell K, Lebreton G, Franch-Marro X, Casanova J. 2018. Differential roles of the Drosophila EMT-inducing transcription factors Snail and Serpent in driving primary tumour growth. PLoS Genetics, 14(2):1-17. DOI:10.1371/journal.pgen.1007167
Brito JC Durant SM, Pettorelli N, Newby J, Canney S, Algadafi W, Rabeil T, Crochet A, Pleguezuelos JM, Wacher T, de Smet K, Gonçalves DV, da Silva MJF, Martínez-Freiría F, Abáigar T, Campos JC, Comizzoli P, Fahd S, Fellous A, Garba HHM, Hamidou D, Harouna A, Hatcha MH, Nagy A, Silva TL, Sow AS, Vale CG, Boratyński Z, Rebelo H, Carvalho SB. 2018. Armed conflicts and wildlife decline: Challenges and recommendations for effective conservation policy in the Sahara-Sahel. Conservation Letters, 11(5):1-13. DOI:10.1111/conl.12446
Romero-Rivas C, Corey JD, Garcia X, Thierry G, Martin CD, Costa A. 2017. World knowledge and novel information integration during L2 speech comprehension. Bilingualism, 20(3):576-587. DOI:10.1017/S1366728915000905
Rahman MM, Franch-Marro X, Maestro JL, Martin D, Casali A. 2017. Local Juvenile Hormone activity regulates gut homeostasis and tumor growth in adult Drosophila. Scientific Reports, 7(1):1-9. DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-11199-9
Borras-Castells F, Nieva C, Maestro JL, Maestro O, Belles X, Martín D. 2017. Juvenile hormone biosynthesis in adult Blattella germanica requires nuclear receptors Seven-up and FTZ-F1. Scientific Reports, 7:1-15. DOI:10.1038/srep40234
Ureña E, Chafino S, Manjón C, Franch-Marro X, Martín D. 2016. The Occurrence of the Holometabolous Pupal Stage Requires the Interaction between E93, Krüppel-Homolog 1 and Broad-Complex. PLoS Genetics, 12(5):1-24. DOi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1006020
Ureña E, Pirone L, Chafino S, Pérez C, Sutherland JD, Lang V, Rodriguez MS, Lopitz-Otsoa F, Blanco FJ, Barrio R, Martín D. 2016. Evolution of SUMO function and chain formation in insects. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 33(2):568-584. DOI:10.1093/molbev/msv242
Mansilla A, Martin FA, Martin D, Ferrus A. 2016. Ligand-independent requirements of steroid receptors EcR and USP for cell survival. Cell Death and Differentiation, 23(3):405-416. DOI:10.1038/cdd.2015.108
de Miguel C, Linsler F, Casanova J, Franch-Marro X. 2016. Genetic basis for the evolution of organ morphogenesis: The case of spalt and cut in the development of insect trachea. Development (Cambridge), 143(19):3615-3622. DOI:10.1242/dev.134924
Herboso L, Oliveira MM, Talamillo A, Pérez C, González M, Martín D, Sutherland JD, Shingleton AW, Mirth CK, Barrio R. 2015. Ecdysone promotes growth of imaginal discs through the regulation of Thor in D. melanogaster. Scientific Reports, 5(June):1-14. DOI:10.1038/srep12383
Ureña E, Manjón C, Franch-Marro X, Martín D. 2014. Transcription factor E93 specifies adult metamorphosis in hemimetabolous and holometabolous insects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(19):7024-7029. DOI:10.1073/pnas.1401478111
Djabrayan NJV, Cruz J, de Miguel C, Franch-Marro X, Casanova J. 2014. Specification of differentiated adult progenitors via inhibition of endocycle entry in the Drosophila trachea. Cell Reports, 9(3):859-865. DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2014.09.043
Wendler F, Bota-Rabassedas N, Franch-Marro X. 2013. Cancer becomes wasteful: Emerging roles of exosomes in cell-fate determination. Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, 2(1). DOI:10.3402/jev.v2i0.22390
Boulan L, Martín D, Milán M. 2013. Bantam miRNA promotes systemic growth by connecting insulin signaling and ecdysone production. Current Biology, 23(6):473-478. DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2013.01.072
Mané-Padrós D, Borràs-Castells F, Belles X, Martín D. 2012. Nuclear receptor HR4 plays an essential role in the ecdysteroid-triggered gene cascade in the development of the hemimetabolous insect Blattella germanica. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 348(1):322-330. DOI:10.1016/j.mce.2011.09.025
Grillo M, Furriols M, De Miguel C, Franch-Marro X, Casanova J. 2012. Conserved and divergent elements in Torso RTK activation in Drosophila development. Scientific Reports, 2:1-7. DOI:10.1038/srep00762
Casals F, Sikora M, Laayouni H, Montanucci L, Muntasell A, Lazarus R, Calafell F, Awadalla P, Netea MG, Bertranpetit J. 2011. Genetic adaptation of the antibacterial human innate immunity network. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 11(1). DOI:10.1186/1471-2148-11-202
Capelli C, Batini C, Ferri G, Destro-Bisol G, Brisighelli F, Luiselli D, Sanchez-Diz P, Rocha J, Jorde L, Brehm A, Montano V, Elwali NE, Spedini G, D'Amato ME, Myres N, Ebbesen P, Comas D. 2011. Early Y chromosome lineages in Africa : the origin and dispersal of Homo sapiens. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 144
Campbell K, Whissell G, Franch-Marro X, Batlle E, Casanova J. 2011. Specific GATA Factors Act as Conserved Inducers of an Endodermal-EMT. Developmental Cell, 21(6):1051-1061. DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2011.10.005