The mechanism by which Nanos acts in Drosophila is a common developmental strategy in Dipteran insects.
Nanos activity is found in the posterior poleplasm of five diverse Dipteran species.
Genes homologous to nanos were identified from D. virilis , the housefly Musca domestica, and the midge Chironomus samoensis . Each gene encodes RNAs that are localized, like Nanos , to the embryonic posterior pole. The homologs can functionally substitute for nanos in D. melanogaster . Thus nanos acts in a similar pathway for axis determination in other insects. Using whole-mount in situ hybridization, the expression of Cnnos1 and Cnnos2 was examined.