Description
The process of metamorphosis relies on choreography of temporal and spatial cues that mediate, in which inappropriate activation of many of these genes results in growth defects, developmental delay and death. Using RNA interference, we have unraveled an essential role for the insect specific dopamine 1(D1)-like receptor Dop1R2 at the late larval/prepupal stage. We used microarrays to evaluate differentially expressed genes during the early/pale pupal stage and identified up-regulation of families of functionally related genes, including ecdysone induced genes, stress and defense/immune response genes, and those that underlie tissue morphogenesis.