engrailed sequences from four centipede orders: strong sequence conservation, duplications and phylogeny

Abstract.

We cloned and sequenced parts of the homologues of the engrailed gene from eight species of centipedes (Chilopoda), an arthropod group with very diverse patterns of body segmentation. We found very high sequence conservation and two independent instances of gene duplication (in Lithobius forficatus and Geophilus carpophagus). Gene phylogeny based on available engrailed sequences agrees with expected topology, but for two minor exceptions, both probably due to long branch effects.