Supporting data for "Annotation of segmentation pathway genes in the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri"

Insects have a segmented body plan that is established during embryogenesis when the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis is divided into repeated units by a cascade of gene expression. The cascade is initiated by protein gradients created by translation of maternally provided mRNAs, localized at the anterior and posterior poles of the embryo. Particular combinations of these proteins activate specific gap genes to divide the embryo into distinct regions along the A-P axis. Gap genes then activate pair-rule genes, which are usually expressed in part of every other segment. The pair-rule genes, in turn, activate expression of segment polarity genes in a portion of each segment. The segmentation genes are generally conserved among insects, although there is considerable variation in how they are deployed. We annotated 25 segmentation gene homologs in the Asian citrus psyllid, <i>Diaphorina citri</i>. We identified most of the genes that were expected to be present in <i>D. citri</i> based on known phylogenetic distribution in other insects were identified and annotated. Two exceptions were <i>eagle</i> and <i>invected</i>, which are present in at least some hemipterans, but were not found in <i>D. citri</i>. Many of the segmentation pathway genes are likely to be essential for <i>D. citri</i> development and thus may be useful targets for gene-based pest control methods.