1
|
Klementz BC, Brenneis G, Hinne IA, Laumer EM, Neu SM, Hareid GM, Gainett G, Setton EVW, Simian C, Vrech DE, Joyce I, Barnett AA, Patel NH, Harvey MS, Peretti AV, Gulia-Nuss M, Sharma PP. A Novel Expression Domain of extradenticle Underlies the Evolutionary Developmental Origin of the Chelicerate Patella. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae188. [PMID: 39235104 PMCID: PMC11422720 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Neofunctionalization of duplicated gene copies is thought to be an important process underlying the origin of evolutionary novelty and provides an elegant mechanism for the origin of new phenotypic traits. One putative case where a new gene copy has been linked to a novel morphological trait is the origin of the arachnid patella, a taxonomically restricted leg segment. In spiders, the origin of this segment has been linked to the origin of the paralog dachshund-2, suggesting that a new gene facilitated the expression of a new trait. However, various arachnid groups that possess patellae do not have a copy of dachshund-2, disfavoring the direct link between gene origin and trait origin. We investigated the developmental genetic basis for patellar patterning in the harvestman Phalangium opilio, which lacks dachshund-2. Here, we show that the harvestman patella is established by a novel expression domain of the transcription factor extradenticle. Leveraging this definition of patellar identity, we surveyed targeted groups across chelicerate phylogeny to assess when this trait evolved. We show that a patellar homolog is present in Pycnogonida (sea spiders) and various arachnid orders, suggesting a single origin of the patella in the ancestor of Chelicerata. A potential loss of the patella is observed in Ixodida. Our results suggest that the modification of an ancient gene, rather than the neofunctionalization of a new gene copy, underlies the origin of the patella. Broadly, this work underscores the value of comparative data and broad taxonomic sampling when testing hypotheses in evolutionary developmental biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Klementz
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Zoological Museum, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Georg Brenneis
- Unit Integrative Zoologie, Department Evolutionsbiologie, Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Isaac A Hinne
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Ethan M Laumer
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Zoological Museum, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sophie M Neu
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Zoological Museum, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Grace M Hareid
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Zoological Museum, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Guilherme Gainett
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children,'s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily V W Setton
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Catalina Simian
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientifícas Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - David E Vrech
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientifícas Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Isabella Joyce
- Department of Biology, DeSales University, Center Valley, PA, USA
| | - Austen A Barnett
- Department of Biology, DeSales University, Center Valley, PA, USA
| | - Nipam H Patel
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
- Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mark S Harvey
- Collections & Research, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, WA, Australia
| | - Alfredo V Peretti
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientifícas Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Monika Gulia-Nuss
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Prashant P Sharma
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Zoological Museum, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Klementz BC, Brenneis G, Hinne IA, Laumer EM, Neu SM, Hareid GM, Gainett G, Setton EVW, Simian C, Vrech DE, Joyce I, Barnett AA, Patel NH, Harvey MS, Peretti AV, Gulia-Nuss M, Sharma PP. A novel expression domain of extradenticle underlies the evolutionary developmental origin of the chelicerate patella. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.16.594547. [PMID: 38826321 PMCID: PMC11142128 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.16.594547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Neofunctionalization of duplicated gene copies is thought to be an important process underlying the origin of evolutionary novelty and provides an elegant mechanism for the origin of new phenotypic traits. One putative case where a new gene copy has been linked to a novel morphological trait is the origin of the arachnid patella, a taxonomically restricted leg segment. In spiders, the origin of this segment has been linked to the origin of the paralog dachshund-2 , suggesting that a new gene facilitated the expression of a new trait. However, various arachnid groups that possess patellae do not have a copy of dachshund-2 , disfavoring the direct link between gene origin and trait origin. We investigated the developmental genetic basis for patellar patterning in the harvestman Phalangium opilio , which lacks dachshund-2 . Here, we show that the harvestman patella is established by a novel expression domain of the transcription factor extradenticle . Leveraging this definition of patellar identity, we surveyed targeted groups across chelicerate phylogeny to assess when this trait evolved. We show that a patellar homolog is present in Pycnogonida (sea spiders) and various arachnid orders, suggesting a single origin of the patella in the ancestor of Chelicerata. A potential loss of the patella is observed in Ixodida. Our results suggest that the modification of an ancient gene, rather than the neofunctionalization of a new gene copy, underlies the origin of the patella. Broadly, this work underscores the value of comparative data and broad taxonomic sampling when testing hypotheses in evolutionary developmental biology.
Collapse
|
3
|
Gainett G, Klementz BC, Blaszczyk P, Setton EVW, Murayama GP, Willemart R, Gavish-Regev E, Sharma PP. Vestigial organs alter fossil placements in an ancient group of terrestrial chelicerates. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1258-1270.e5. [PMID: 38401545 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Vestigial organs provide a link between ancient and modern traits and therefore have great potential to resolve the phylogeny of contentious fossils that bear features not seen in extant species. Here we show that extant daddy-longlegs (Arachnida, Opiliones), a group once thought to possess only one pair of eyes, in fact additionally retain a pair of vestigial median eyes and a pair of vestigial lateral eyes. Neuroanatomical gene expression surveys of eye-patterning transcription factors, opsins, and other structural proteins in the daddy-longlegs Phalangium opilio show that the vestigial median and lateral eyes innervate regions of the brain positionally homologous to the median and lateral eye neuropils, respectively, of chelicerate groups like spiders and horseshoe crabs. Gene silencing of eyes absent shows that the vestigial eyes are under the control of the retinal determination gene network. Gene silencing of dachshund disrupts the lateral eyes, but not the median eyes, paralleling loss-of-function phenotypes in insect models. The existence of lateral eyes in extant daddy-longlegs bears upon the placement of the oldest harvestmen fossils, a putative stem group that possessed both a pair of median eyes and a pair of lateral eyes. Phylogenetic analysis of harvestman relationships with an updated understanding of lateral eye incidence resolved the four-eyed fossil group as a member of the extant daddy-longlegs suborder, which in turn resulted in older estimated ages of harvestman diversification. This work underscores that developmental vestiges in extant taxa can influence our understanding of character evolution, placement of fossils, and inference of divergence times.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Gainett
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Benjamin C Klementz
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Pola Blaszczyk
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Emily V W Setton
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Gabriel P Murayama
- Laboratório de Ecologia Sensorial e Comportamento de Artrópodes, Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Arlindo Béttio, 1000, Ermelino Matarazzo, São Paulo, SP 03828-000, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Willemart
- Laboratório de Ecologia Sensorial e Comportamento de Artrópodes, Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Arlindo Béttio, 1000, Ermelino Matarazzo, São Paulo, SP 03828-000, Brazil
| | - Efrat Gavish-Regev
- The National Natural History Collections, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Prashant P Sharma
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sharma PP. The Impact of Whole Genome Duplication on the Evolution of the Arachnids. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:825-842. [PMID: 37263789 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The proliferation of genomic resources for Chelicerata in the past 10 years has revealed that the evolution of chelicerate genomes is more dynamic than previously thought, with multiple waves of ancient whole genome duplications affecting separate lineages. Such duplication events are fascinating from the perspective of evolutionary history because the burst of new gene copies associated with genome duplications facilitates the acquisition of new gene functions (neofunctionalization), which may in turn lead to morphological novelties and spur net diversification. While neofunctionalization has been invoked in several contexts with respect to the success and diversity of spiders, the overall impact of whole genome duplications on chelicerate evolution and development remains imperfectly understood. The purpose of this review is to examine critically the role of whole genome duplication on the diversification of the extant arachnid orders, as well as assess functional datasets for evidence of subfunctionalization or neofunctionalization in chelicerates. This examination focuses on functional data from two focal model taxa: the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum, which exhibits evidence for an ancient duplication, and the harvestman Phalangium opilio, which exhibits an unduplicated genome. I show that there is no evidence that taxa with genome duplications are more successful than taxa with unduplicated genomes. I contend that evidence for sub- or neofunctionalization of duplicated developmental patterning genes in spiders is indirect or fragmentary at present, despite the appeal of this postulate for explaining the success of groups like spiders. Available expression data suggest that the condition of duplicated Hox modules may have played a role in promoting body plan disparity in the posterior tagma of some orders, such as spiders and scorpions, but functional data substantiating this postulate are critically missing. Spatiotemporal dynamics of duplicated transcription factors in spiders may represent cases of developmental system drift, rather than neofunctionalization. Developmental system drift may represent an important, but overlooked, null hypothesis for studies of paralogs in chelicerate developmental biology. To distinguish between subfunctionalization, neofunctionalization, and developmental system drift, concomitant establishment of comparative functional datasets from taxa exhibiting the genome duplication, as well as those that lack the paralogy, is sorely needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prashant P Sharma
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Li Z, Zhang J, Yin S, Xi G. Toxicity effect of the edible pigment carmoisine on Polyrhachis vicina Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 31:1009-1022. [PMID: 35792963 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-022-02563-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Carmoisine belongs to a water-soluble synthetic dye and is often used as a food additive. Previous research has shown that carmoisine is toxic to rats and zebrafish, but there have been few reports on the effect of carmoisine on soil-dwelling social insects. The present study evaluated carmoisine toxicity in Polyrhachis vicina Roger. We found that the effects of different concentrations of carmoisine on the mortality of workers were dose-dependent. The 10% lethal dose (LD10), 50% lethal dose (LD50) and 90% lethal dose (LD90) of carmoisine to workers at 96 h was calculated to be 0.504, 5.491 and 10.478 g/L, respectivily. LD10 of workers were selected to treat the fourth instar larvae, pupae and adults for 10 days. The results showed that the survival rate of all ants, except for females, was significantly reduced, especially larvae and workers. The body weight of larvae, pupae and males decreased significantly, while weight gain was observed in the females and workers. The appearance of larvae, pupae and workers changed after carmoisine treatment, such as body darkening and epidermis shrinking of larvae and pupae, as well as body segment expansion of workers. Furthermore, carmoisine altered the expression of the estrogen-related receptor, tailless and homothorax of P. vicina (Pv-ERR, Pv-tll and Pv-hth) to varying degrees in larvae and adults. We believe that variations in body weight can lead to a decrease in survival rate and appearance changes in the ants, which may be related to abnormal gene expressions caused by carmoisine treatment. Therefore, we confirm that carmoisine has negative effects on the growth and development of P. vicina.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziyu Li
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Shaoting Yin
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Gengsi Xi
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ruiz-Losada M, Pérez-Reyes C, Estella C. Role of the Forkhead Transcription Factors Fd4 and Fd5 During Drosophila Leg Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:723927. [PMID: 34409041 PMCID: PMC8365472 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.723927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Appendage development requires the coordinated function of signaling pathways and transcription factors to pattern the leg along the three main axes: the antero-posterior (AP), proximo-distal (PD), and dorso-ventral (DV). The Drosophila leg DV axis is organized by two morphogens, Decapentaplegic (Dpp), and Wingless (Wg), which direct dorsal and ventral cell fates, respectively. However, how these signals regulate the differential expression of its target genes is mostly unknown. In this work, we found that two members of the Drosophila forkhead family of transcription factors, Fd4 and Fd5 (also known as fd96Ca and fd96Cb), are identically expressed in the ventro-lateral domain of the leg imaginal disc in response to Dpp signaling. Here, we analyze the expression regulation and function of these genes during leg development. We have generated specific mutant alleles for each gene and a double fd4/fd5 mutant chromosome to study their function during development. We highlight the redundant role of the fd4/fd5 genes during the formation of the sex comb, a male specific structure that appears in the ventro-lateral domain of the prothoracic leg.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mireya Ruiz-Losada
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (C.S.I.C.-U.A.M.), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristian Pérez-Reyes
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (C.S.I.C.-U.A.M.), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Estella
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (C.S.I.C.-U.A.M.), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bruce HS, Patel NH. Knockout of crustacean leg patterning genes suggests that insect wings and body walls evolved from ancient leg segments. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1703-1712. [PMID: 33262517 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01349-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The origin of insect wings has long been debated. Central to this debate is whether wings are a novel structure on the body wall resulting from gene co-option, or evolved from an exite (outgrowth; for example, a gill) on the leg of an ancestral crustacean. Here, we report the phenotypes for the knockout of five leg patterning genes in the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis and compare these with their previously published phenotypes in Drosophila and other insects. This leads to an alignment of insect and crustacean legs that suggests that two leg segments that were present in the common ancestor of insects and crustaceans were incorporated into the insect body wall, moving the proximal exite of the leg dorsally, up onto the back, to later form insect wings. Our results suggest that insect wings are not novel structures, but instead evolved from existing, ancestral structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather S Bruce
- University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. .,Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA.
| | - Nipam H Patel
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA.,Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Game M, Smith FW. Loss of intermediate regions of perpendicular body axes contributed to miniaturization of tardigrades. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201135. [PMID: 33043863 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tardigrades have a miniaturized body plan. Miniaturization in tardigrades is associated with the loss of several organ systems and an intermediate region of their anteroposterior (AP) axis. However, how miniaturization has affected tardigrade legs is unclear. In arthropods and in onychophorans, the leg gap genes are expressed in regionalized proximodistal (PD) patterns in the legs. Functional studies indicate that these genes regulate growth in their respective expression domains and establish PD identities, partly through mutually antagonistic regulatory interactions. Here, we investigated the expression patterns of tardigrade orthologs of the leg gap genes. Rather than being restricted to a proximal leg region, as in arthropods and onychophorans, we detected coexpression of orthologues of homothorax and extradenticle broadly across the legs of the first three trunk segments in the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris. We could not identify a dachshund orthologue in tardigrade genomes, a gene that is expressed in an intermediate region of developing legs in arthropods and onychophorans, suggesting that this gene was lost in the tardigrade lineage. We detected Distal-less expression broadly across all developing leg buds in H. exemplaris embryos, unlike in arthropods and onychophorans, in which it exhibits a distally restricted expression domain. The broad expression patterns of the remaining leg gap genes in H. exemplaris legs may reflect the loss of dachshund and the accompanying loss of an intermediate region of the legs in the tardigrade lineage. We propose that the loss of intermediate regions of both the AP and PD body axes contributed to miniaturization of Tardigrada.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Game
- Biology Department, University of North Florida, USA
| | - Frank W Smith
- Biology Department, University of North Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hernandez J, Pick L, Reding K. Oncopeltus-like gene expression patterns in Murgantia histrionica, a new hemipteran model system, suggest ancient regulatory network divergence. EvoDevo 2020; 11:9. [PMID: 32337018 PMCID: PMC7178596 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-020-00154-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Much has been learned about basic biology from studies of insect model systems. The pre-eminent insect model system, Drosophila melanogaster, is a holometabolous insect with a derived mode of segment formation. While additional insect models have been pioneered in recent years, most of these fall within holometabolous lineages. In contrast, hemimetabolous insects have garnered less attention, although they include agricultural pests, vectors of human disease, and present numerous evolutionary novelties in form and function. The milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (order: Hemiptera)—close outgroup to holometabolous insects—is an emerging model system. However, comparative studies within this order are limited as many phytophagous hemipterans are difficult to stably maintain in the lab due to their reliance on fresh plants, deposition of eggs within plant material, and long development time from embryo to adult. Results Here we present the harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica, as a new hemipteran model species. Murgantia—a member of the stink bug family Pentatomidae which shares a common ancestor with Oncopeltus ~ 200 mya—is easy to rear in the lab, produces a large number of eggs, and is amenable to molecular genetic techniques. We use Murgantia to ask whether Pair-Rule Genes (PRGs) are deployed in ways similar to holometabolous insects or to Oncopeltus. Specifically, PRGs even-skipped, odd-skipped, paired and sloppy-paired are initially expressed in PR-stripes in Drosophila and a number of holometabolous insects but in segmental-stripes in Oncopeltus. We found that these genes are likewise expressed in segmental-stripes in Murgantia, while runt displays partial PR-character in both species. Also like Oncopeltus, E75A is expressed in a clear PR-pattern in blastoderm- and germband-stage Murgantia embryos, although it plays no role in segmentation in Drosophila. Thus, genes diagnostic of the split between holometabolous insects and Oncopeltus are expressed in an Oncopeltus-like fashion during Murgantia development. Conclusions The similarity in gene expression between Murgantia and Oncopeltus suggests that Oncopeltus is not a sole outlier species in failing to utilize orthologs of Drosophila PRGs for PR-patterning. Rather, strategies deployed for PR-patterning, including the use of E75A in the PRG-network, are likely conserved within Hemiptera, and possibly more broadly among hemimetabolous insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Hernandez
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4291 Fieldhouse Drive, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Leslie Pick
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4291 Fieldhouse Drive, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Katie Reding
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4291 Fieldhouse Drive, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Guschinskaya N, Ressnikoff D, Arafah K, Voisin S, Bulet P, Uzest M, Rahbé Y. Insect Mouthpart Transcriptome Unveils Extension of Cuticular Protein Repertoire and Complex Organization. iScience 2020; 23:100828. [PMID: 32000126 PMCID: PMC7033635 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects have developed intriguing cuticles with very specific structures and functions, including microstructures governing their interactions with transmitted microbes, such as in aphid mouthparts harboring virus receptors within such microstructures. Here, we provide the first transcriptome analysis of an insect mouthpart cuticle (“retort organs” [ROs], the stylets' precursors). This analysis defined stylets as a complex composite material. The retort transcriptome also allowed us to propose an algorithmic definition of a new cuticular protein (CP) family with low complexity and biased amino acid composition. Finally, we identified a differentially expressed gene encoding a pyrokinin (PK) neuropeptide precursor and characterizing the mandibular glands. Injection of three predicted synthetic peptides PK1/2/3 into aphids prior to ecdysis caused a molt-specific phenotype with altered head formation. Our study provides the most complete description to date of the potential protein composition of aphid stylets, which should improve the understanding of the transmission of stylet-borne viruses. First transcriptome of aphid retort glands and stylet cuticular protein composition A pyrokinin transcript is mandibular gland specific at the onset of adult moult Stylet cuticle is of higher protein complexity than other insect cuticles A new class of low-complexity cuticular proteins is predicted
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Guschinskaya
- Insa de Lyon, UMR5240 MAP CNRS-UCBL, 69622 Villeurbanne, France; Université de Lyon
| | - Denis Ressnikoff
- CIQLE, Centre d'imagerie Quantitative Lyon-Est, UCB Lyon 1, Lyon, France; Université de Lyon
| | | | | | - Philippe Bulet
- Platform BioPark Archamps, Archamps, France; CR University of Grenoble Alpes, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, La Tronche, France
| | - Marilyne Uzest
- BGPI, Univ Montpellier, INRA, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
| | - Yvan Rahbé
- Insa de Lyon, UMR5240 MAP CNRS-UCBL, 69622 Villeurbanne, France; BGPI, Univ Montpellier, INRA, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France; Université de Lyon.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Heingård M, Turetzek N, Prpic NM, Janssen R. FoxB, a new and highly conserved key factor in arthropod dorsal-ventral (DV) limb patterning. EvoDevo 2019; 10:28. [PMID: 31728178 PMCID: PMC6842170 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-019-0141-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Forkhead box (Fox) transcription factors evolved early in animal evolution and represent important components of conserved gene regulatory networks (GRNs) during animal development. Most of the researches concerning Fox genes, however, are on vertebrates and only a relatively low number of studies investigate Fox gene function in invertebrates. In addition to this shortcoming, the focus of attention is often restricted to a few well-characterized Fox genes such as FoxA (forkhead), FoxC (crocodile) and FoxQ2. Although arthropods represent the largest and most diverse animal group, most other Fox genes have not been investigated in detail, not even in the arthropod model species Drosophila melanogaster. In a general gene expression pattern screen for panarthropod Fox genes including the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, the pill millipede Glomeris marginata, the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum, and the velvet worm Euperipatoides kanangrensis, we identified a Fox gene with a highly conserved expression pattern along the ventral ectoderm of arthropod and onychophoran limbs. Functional investigation of FoxB in Parasteatoda reveals a hitherto unrecognized important function of FoxB upstream of wingless (wg) and decapentaplegic (dpp) in the GRN orchestrating dorsal–ventral limb patterning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Heingård
- 1Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, Uppsala, Sweden.,4Present Address: Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, Lund, Sweden
| | - Natascha Turetzek
- 2Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany.,Present Address: Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nikola-Michael Prpic
- 2Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany.,5Present Address: Bereich Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 38, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Ralf Janssen
- 1Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Sugime Y, Oguchi K, Gotoh H, Hayashi Y, Matsunami M, Shigenobu S, Koshikawa S, Miura T. Termite soldier mandibles are elongated by dachshund under hormonal and Hox gene controls. Development 2019; 146:dev.171942. [PMID: 30833380 DOI: 10.1242/dev.171942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In social insects, interactions among colony members trigger caste differentiation with morphological modifications. In termite soldier differentiation, the mandible size considerably increases through two moltings (via the presoldier stage) under the control of juvenile hormone (JH). Regulatory genes are predicted to provide patterning information that induces the mandible-specific cell proliferation. To identify factors responsible for the mandibular enlargement, expression analyses of 18 candidate genes were carried out in the termite Hodotermopsis sjostedti Among those, dachshund (dac), which identifies the intermediate domain along the proximodistal appendage axis, showed mandible-specific upregulation prior to the molt into presoldiers, which can explain the pattern of cell proliferation for the mandibular elongation. Knockdown of dac by RNAi reduced the mandibular length and distorted its morphology. Furthermore, the epistatic relationships among Methoprene tolerant, Insulin receptor, Deformed (Dfd) and dac were revealed by combined RNAi and qRT-PCR analyses, suggesting that dac is regulated by Dfd, downstream of the JH and insulin signaling pathways. Thus, caste-specific morphogenesis is controlled by interactions between the factors that provide spatial information and physiological status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Sugime
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Kohei Oguchi
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.,Misaki Marine Biological Station, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Miura, Kanagawa, 238-0225, Japan
| | - Hiroki Gotoh
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.,Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Hayashi
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.,Department of Biology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8521, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Matsunami
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.,Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0215, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- NIBB Core Research Facilities, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Koshikawa
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Toru Miura
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan .,Misaki Marine Biological Station, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Miura, Kanagawa, 238-0225, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cerkvenik U, Dodou D, van Leeuwen JL, Gussekloo SWS. Functional principles of steerable multi-element probes in insects. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:555-574. [PMID: 30259619 PMCID: PMC7379267 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2018] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Hemipterans, mosquitoes, and parasitic wasps probe in a variety of substrates to find hosts for their larvae or food sources. Probes capable of sensing and precise steering enable insects to navigate through solid substrates without visual information and to reach targets that are hidden deep inside the substrate. The probes belong to non‐related taxa and originate from abdominal structures (wasps) or mouthparts (hemipterans and mosquitoes), but nevertheless share several morphological characteristics. Although the transport function clearly differs (egg laying and acquisition of liquid food), the functional demands on the mechanical behaviour of the probe within the substrate tend to be similar. The probe needs to be thin to limit substrate deformation, and long, in order to attain substantial path lengths or depths. We linked the morphology across taxa to the different functional requirements, to provide insights into the biology of probing insects and the evolution of their probes. Current knowledge of insect probes is spread over many taxa, which offers the possibility to derive general characteristics of insect probing. Buckling during initial puncturing is limited by external support mechanisms. The probe itself consist of multiple (3–6) parts capable of sliding along one another. This multi‐part construction presumably enables advancement and precise three‐dimensional steering of the probe through the substrate with very low net external pushing forces, preventing buckling during substrate penetration. From a mechanical viewpoint, a minimum of three elements is required for 3D steering and volumetric exploration, as realised in the ovipositors of wasps. More elements, such as in six‐element probes of mosquitoes, may enhance friction in soft substrates. Alternatively, additional elements can have functions other than ‘drilling’, such as saliva injection in mosquitoes. Despite the gross similarities, probes show differences in their cross sections, tip morphologies, relative lengths of their elements, and the shape of their interconnections. The hypothesis is that the probe morphology is influenced by the substrate properties, which are mostly unknown. Correlating the observed diversity to substrate‐specific functional demands is therefore currently impossible. We conclude that a multipart probe with sliding elements is highly effective for volumetric substrate probing. Shared functional demands have led to an evolutionary convergence of slender multi‐element probes in disparate insect taxa. To fully understand 3D probing, it is necessary to study the sensory and material properties, as well as the detailed kinematics and dynamics of the various probes in relation to the nature of the selective pressure originating from the species‐specific substrates. Such knowledge will deepen our understanding of probing mechanisms and may support the development of slender, bio‐inspired probes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Uroš Cerkvenik
- Experimental Zoology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, De Elst 1, 6708 WD, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitra Dodou
- Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Johan L van Leeuwen
- Experimental Zoology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, De Elst 1, 6708 WD, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sander W S Gussekloo
- Experimental Zoology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, De Elst 1, 6708 WD, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Cooption of an appendage-patterning gene cassette in the head segmentation of arachnids. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E3491-E3500. [PMID: 29581309 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1720193115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The jointed appendages of arthropods have facilitated the spectacular diversity and success of this phylum. Key to the regulation of appendage outgrowth is the Krüppel-like factor (KLF)/specificity protein (Sp) family of zinc finger transcription factors. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the Sp6-9 homolog is activated by Wnt-1/wingless (wg) and establishes ventral appendage (leg) fate. Subsequently, Sp6-9 maintains expression of the axial patterning gene Distal-less (Dll), which promotes limb outgrowth. Intriguingly, in spiders, Dll has been reported to have a derived role as a segmentation gap gene, but the evolutionary origin and regulation of this function are not understood because functional investigations of the appendage-patterning regulatory network are restricted to insects. We tested the evolutionary conservation of the ancestral appendage-patterning network of arthropods with a functional approach in the spider. RNAi-mediated knockdown of the spider Sp6-9 ortholog resulted in diminution or loss of Dll expression and truncation of appendages, as well as loss of the two body segments specified by the early Dll function. In reciprocal experiments, Dll is shown not to be required for Sp6-9 expression. Knockdown of arrow (Wnt-1 coreceptor) disrupted segmentation and appendage development but did not affect the early Sp6-9 expression domain. Ectopic appendages generated in the spider "abdomen" by knockdown of the Hox gene Antennapedia-1 (Antp-1) expressed Sp6-9 comparably to wild-type walking legs. Our results support (i) the evolutionary conservation of an appendage-patterning regulatory network that includes canonical Wnt signaling, Sp6-9, and Dll and (ii) the cooption of the Sp6-9/Dll regulatory cassette in arachnid head segmentation.
Collapse
|
15
|
Ando T, Fujiwara H, Kojima T. The pivotal role of aristaless in development and evolution of diverse antennal morphologies in moths and butterflies. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:8. [PMID: 29370752 PMCID: PMC5785806 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1124-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Antennae are multi-segmented appendages and main odor-sensing organs in insects. In Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), antennal morphologies have diversified according to their ecological requirements. While diurnal butterflies have simple, rod-shaped antennae, nocturnal moths have antennae with protrusions or lateral branches on each antennal segment for high-sensitive pheromone detection. A previous study on the Bombyx mori (silk moth) antenna, forming two lateral branches per segment, during metamorphosis has revealed the dramatic change in expression of antennal patterning genes to segmentally reiterated, branch-associated pattern and abundant proliferation of cells contributing almost all the dorsal half of the lateral branch. Thus, localized cell proliferation possibly controlled by the branch-associated expression of antennal patterning genes is implicated in lateral branch formation. Yet, actual gene function in lateral branch formation in Bombyx mori and evolutionary mechanism of various antennal morphologies in Lepidoptera remain elusive. Results We investigated the function of several genes and signaling specifically in lateral branch formation in Bombyx mori by the electroporation-mediated incorporation of siRNAs or morpholino oligomers. Knock down of aristaless, a homeobox gene expressed specifically in the region of abundant cell proliferation within each antennal segment, during metamorphosis resulted in missing or substantial shortening of lateral branches, indicating its importance for lateral branch formation. aristaless expression during metamorphosis was lost by knock down of Distal-less and WNT signaling but derepressed by knock down of Notch signaling, suggesting the strict determination of the aristaless expression domain within each antennal segment by the combinatorial action of them. In addition, analyses of pupal aristaless expression in antennae with various morphologies of several lepidopteran species revealed that the aristaless expression pattern has a striking correlation with antennal shapes, whereas the segmentally reiterated expression pattern was observed irrespective of antennal morphologies. Conclusions Our results presented here indicate the significance of aristaless function in lateral branch formation in B. mori and imply that the diversification in the aristaless expression pattern within each antennal segment during metamorphosis is one of the significant determinants of antennal morphologies. According to these findings, we propose a mechanism underlying development and evolution of lepidopteran antennae with various morphologies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-018-1124-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Ando
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562, Japan.,Present address: Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Fujiwara
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562, Japan.
| | - Tetsuya Kojima
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lu Y, Chen M, Reding K, Pick L. Establishment of molecular genetic approaches to study gene expression and function in an invasive hemipteran, Halyomorpha halys. EvoDevo 2017; 8:15. [PMID: 29075432 PMCID: PMC5648497 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-017-0078-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemiptera is a large clade of insects understudied in terms of developmental biology. Halyomorpha halys, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB, referred to throughout as H. halys), is an invasive hemipteran pest of the mid-Atlantic region of the USA that has rapidly spread to other regions in recent years, devastating a wide range of crops using a piercing and sucking mechanism. Its phylogenetic position, polyphagous habits, and rapid spread in the USA suggested that H. halys would be an ideal system to broaden our knowledge of developmental mechanisms in insects. We and others previously generated transcriptome sequences from different life stages of this insect. Here, we describe tools to examine gene expression patterns in whole-mount H. halys embryos and to test the response of H. halys to RNA interference (RNAi). We show that spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression in H. halys can be effectively monitored by both immunostaining and in situ hybridization. We also show that delivery of dsRNA to adult females knocks down gene function in offspring, using the homeotic gene Sex combs reduced (Scr). Knockdown of Hh-Scr resulted in dramatic malformations of the mouthparts, demonstrating for the first time that RNAi is effective in this species. Our results suggest that, despite difficulties with long-term laboratory culture of H. halys, this species shows promise as a developmental system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong Lu
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA.,Present Address: Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook Medicine, 101 Nicolls Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
| | - Mengyao Chen
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Katie Reding
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Leslie Pick
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Jockusch EL. Developmental and Evolutionary Perspectives on the Origin and Diversification of Arthropod Appendages. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:533-545. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
|
18
|
Setton EVW, March LE, Nolan ED, Jones TE, Cho H, Wheeler WC, Extavour CG, Sharma PP. Expression and function of spineless orthologs correlate with distal deutocerebral appendage morphology across Arthropoda. Dev Biol 2017; 430:224-236. [PMID: 28764892 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The deutocerebral (second) head segment is putatively homologous across Arthropoda, in spite of remarkable disparity of form and function of deutocerebral appendages. In Mandibulata this segment bears a pair of sensory antennae, whereas in Chelicerata the same segment bears a pair of feeding appendages called chelicerae. Part of the evidence for the homology of deutocerebral appendages is the conserved function of homothorax (hth), which has been shown to specify antennal or cheliceral fate in the absence of Hox signaling, in both mandibulate and chelicerate exemplars. However, the genetic basis for the morphological disparity of antenna and chelicera is not understood. To test whether downstream targets of hth have diverged in a lineage-specific manner, we examined the evolution of the function and expression of spineless (ss), which in two holometabolous insects is known to act as a hth target and distal antennal determinant. Toward expanding phylogenetic representation of gene expression data, here we show that strong expression of ss is observed in developing antennae of a hemimetabolous insect, a centipede, and an amphipod crustacean. By contrast, ss orthologs are not expressed throughout the cheliceral limb buds of spiders or harvestmen during developmental stages when appendage fate is specified. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of ss in Oncopeltus fasciatus, which bears a simple plesiomorphic antenna, resulted in homeotic distal antenna-to-leg transformation, comparable to data from holometabolous insect counterparts. Knockdown of hth in Oncopeltus fasciatus abrogated ss expression, suggesting conservation of upstream regulation. These data suggest that ss may be a flagellar (distal antennal) determinant more broadly, and that this function was acquired at the base of Mandibulata.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily V W Setton
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Logan E March
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Erik D Nolan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Tamsin E Jones
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Holly Cho
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Ward C Wheeler
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cassandra G Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Prashant P Sharma
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Turetzek N, Khadjeh S, Schomburg C, Prpic NM. Rapid diversification of homothorax expression patterns after gene duplication in spiders. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:168. [PMID: 28709396 PMCID: PMC5513375 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-1013-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Gene duplications provide genetic material for the evolution of new morphological and physiological features. One copy can preserve the original gene functions while the second copy may evolve new functions (neofunctionalisation). Gene duplications may thus provide new genes involved in evolutionary novelties. Results We have studied the duplicated homeobox gene homothorax (hth) in the spider species Parasteatoda tepidariorum and Pholcus phalangioides and have compared these data with previously published data from additional spider species. We show that the expression pattern of hth1 is highly conserved among spiders, consistent with the notion that this gene copy preserves the original hth functions. By contrast, hth2 has a markedly different expression profile especially in the prosomal appendages. The pattern in the pedipalps and legs consists of several segmental rings, suggesting a possible role of hth2 in limb joint development. Intriguingly, however, the hth2 pattern is much less conserved between the species than hth1 and shows a species specific pattern in each species investigated so far. Conclusions We hypothesise that the hth2 gene has gained a new patterning function after gene duplication, but has then undergone a second phase of diversification of its new role in the spider clade. The evolution of hth2 may thus provide an interesting example for a duplicated gene that has not only contributed to genetic diversity through neofunctionalisation, but beyond that has been able to escape evolutionary conservation after neofunctionalisation thus forming the basis for further genetic diversification. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-017-1013-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natascha Turetzek
- Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Göttingen, Germany.,Current address: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Abteilung Zelluläre Neurobiologie, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sara Khadjeh
- Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Göttingen, Germany.,Present address: Clinic for Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Schomburg
- Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nikola-Michael Prpic
- Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany. .,Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Göttingen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Cicero JM. Stylet biogenesis in Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2017; 46:644-661. [PMID: 28043917 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Revised: 12/04/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of 'Ca. Liberibacter solanacearum', causal agent of certain solanaceous and apiaceous crop diseases, inside the functional (intrastadial) and pharate stylet anatomy of the potato psyllid prompted elucidation of the mechanism of stylet replacement as a novel exit portal in the transmission pathway. In Hemiptera, presumptive (formative) stylets, secreted during consecutive pharate instars, replace functional stylets lost with the exuviae. In potato psyllids, each functional stylet has a hollow core filled with a cytology that extends out of the core to form a hemispherical aggregate of cells, the 'end-cap', somewhat resembling a golf ball on a tee. A tightly folded mass of extremely thin cells, the 'matrix', occurs inside the end-cap. Micrograph interpretations indicate that during the pharate stage, the end-cap apolyses from the core and 'deconstructs' to release and expand the matrix into a long, coiled tube, the 'atrium'. Cells that were in contact with the inner walls of the functional stylet core maintain their position at the apex of the tube, and secrete a new stylet, apex first, the growing length of which descends into the tube until completed. They then despool from the coils into their functional position as the exuviae is shed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Cicero
- The University of Arizona, School of Plant Sciences, 303 Forbes Hall, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Chipman AD. Oncopeltus fasciatus
as an evo-devo research organism. Genesis 2017; 55. [DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Revised: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ariel D. Chipman
- The Department of Ecology; Evolution and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus; Givat Ram Jerusalem 91904 Israel
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Xiang J, Reding K, Pick L. Rearing and Double-stranded RNA-mediated Gene Knockdown in the Hide Beetle, Dermestes maculatus. J Vis Exp 2016. [PMID: 28060304 DOI: 10.3791/54976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in genomics have raised the possibility of probing biodiversity at an unprecedented scale. However, sequence alone will not be informative without tools to study gene function. The development and sharing of detailed protocols for the establishment of new model systems in laboratories, and for tools to carry out functional studies, is thus crucial for leveraging the power of genomics. Coleoptera (beetles) are the largest clade of insects and occupy virtually all types of habitats on the planet. In addition to providing ideal models for fundamental research, studies of beetles can have impacts on pest control as they are often pests of households, agriculture, and food industries. Detailed protocols for rearing and maintenance of D. maculatus laboratory colonies and for carrying out dsRNA-mediated interference in D. maculatus are presented. Both embryonic and parental RNAi procedures-including apparatus set up, preparation, injection, and post-injection recovery-are described. Methods are also presented for analyzing embryonic phenotypes, including viability, patterning defects in hatched larvae, and cuticle preparations for unhatched larvae. These assays, together with in situ hybridization and immunostaining for molecular markers, make D. maculatus an accessible model system for basic and applied research. They further provide useful information for establishing procedures in other emerging insect model systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xiang
- Entomology Department, University of Maryland; Program in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Maryland
| | | | - Leslie Pick
- Entomology Department, University of Maryland; Program in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Maryland;
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Gotoh H, Zinna RA, Ishikawa Y, Miyakawa H, Ishikawa A, Sugime Y, Emlen DJ, Lavine LC, Miura T. The function of appendage patterning genes in mandible development of the sexually dimorphic stag beetle. Dev Biol 2016; 422:24-32. [PMID: 27989519 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
One of the defining features of the evolutionary success of insects is the morphological diversification of their appendages, especially mouthparts. Although most insects share a common mouthpart ground plan, there is remarkable diversity in the relative size and shapes of these appendages among different insect lineages. One of the most prominent examples of mouthpart modification can be found in the enlargement of mandibles in stag beetles (Coleoptera, Insecta). In order to understand the proximate mechanisms of mouthpart modification, we investigated the function of appendage-patterning genes in mandibular enlargement during extreme growth of the sexually dimorphic mandibles of the stag beetle Cyclommatus metallifer. Based on knowledge from Drosophila and Tribolium studies, we focused on seven appendage patterning genes (Distal-less (Dll), aristaless (al), dachshund (dac), homothorax (hth), Epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr), escargot (esg), and Keren (Krn). In order to characterize the developmental function of these genes, we performed functional analyses by using RNA interference (RNAi). Importantly, we found that RNAi knockdown of dac resulted in a significant mandible size reduction in males but not in female mandibles. In addition to reducing the size of mandibles, dac knockdown also resulted in a loss of the serrate teeth structures on the mandibles of males and females. We found that al and hth play a significant role during morphogenesis of the large male-specific inner mandibular tooth. On the other hand, knockdown of the distal selector gene Dll did not affect mandible development, supporting the hypothesis that mandibles likely do not contain the distal-most region of the ancestral appendage and therefore co-option of Dll expression is unlikely to be involved in mandible enlargement in stag beetles. In addition to mandible development, we explored possible roles of these genes in controlling the divergent antennal morphology of Coleoptera.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Gotoh
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan; Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan.
| | - Robert A Zinna
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Yuki Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan; Graduate School of Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Miyakawa
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan; Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan
| | - Asano Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan; Division of Ecological Genetics, Department of Population Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Sugime
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | - Douglas J Emlen
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana-Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Laura C Lavine
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Toru Miura
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Chen N, Fan YL, Bai Y, Li XD, Zhang ZF, Liu TX. Cytochrome P450 gene, CYP4G51, modulates hydrocarbon production in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 76:84-94. [PMID: 27425674 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Terrestrial insects deposit a layer of hydrocarbons (HCs) as waterproofing agents on their epicuticle. The insect-specific CYP4G genes, subfamily members of P450, have been found in all insects with sequenced genomes to date. They are critical for HC biosynthesis in Drosophila; however, their functional roles in other insects including the piercing-sucking hemipterous aphids remain unknown. In this study, we presented the molecular characterization and a functional study of the CYP4G51 gene in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris). CYP4G51 transcript was detectable across the whole life cycle of A. pisum, and was prominently expressed in the aphid head and abdominal cuticle. Up-regulation of CYP4G51 under desiccation stress was more significant in the third instar nymphs compared with the adults. Also, up-regulation of CYP4G51 was observed when the aphids fed on an artificial diet compared with those fed on the broad bean plant, and was positively correlated with a high level of cuticular HCs (CHCs). RNAi knockdown of CYP4G51 significantly reduced its expression and caused reductions in both internal and external HCs. A deficiency in CHCs resulted in aphids being more susceptible to desiccation, with increased mortality under desiccation stress. The current results confirm that CYP4G51 modulates HC biosynthesis to protect aphids from desiccation. Moreover, our data also indicate that saturated and straight-chain HCs play a major role in cuticular waterproofing in the pea aphid. A. pisum CYP4G51 could be considered as a novel RNAi target in the field of insect pest management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Yong-Liang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Yu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Xiang-Dong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Zhan-Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Tong-Xian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Blanke A, Rühr PT, Mokso R, Villanueva P, Wilde F, Stampanoni M, Uesugi K, Machida R, Misof B. Structural mouthpart interaction evolved already in the earliest lineages of insects. Proc Biol Sci 2016. [PMID: 26203002 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In butterflies, bees, flies and true bugs specific mouthparts are in close contact or even fused to enable piercing, sucking or sponging of particular food sources. The common phenomenon behind these mouthpart types is a complex composed of several consecutive mouthparts which structurally interact during food uptake. The single mouthparts are thus only functional in conjunction with other adjacent mouthparts, which is fundamentally different to biting-chewing. It is, however, unclear when structural mouthpart interaction (SMI) evolved since this principle obviously occurred multiple times independently in several extant and extinct winged insect groups. Here, we report a new type of SMI in two of the earliest wingless hexapod lineages--Diplura and Collembola. We found that the mandible and maxilla interact with each other via an articulatory stud at the dorsal side of the maxillary stipes, and they are furthermore supported by structures of the hypopharynx and head capsule. These interactions are crucial stabilizing elements during food uptake. The presence of SMI in these ancestrally wingless insects, and its absence in those crustacean groups probably ancestral to insects, indicates that SMI is a groundplan apomorphy of insects. Our results thus contradict the currently established view of insect mouthpart evolution that biting-chewing mouthparts without any form of SMI are the ancestral configuration. Furthermore, SMIs occur in the earliest insects in a high anatomical variety. SMIs in stemgroup representatives of insects may have triggered efficient exploitation and fast adaptation to new terrestrial food sources much earlier than previously supposed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Blanke
- Sugadaira Montane Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Sugadaira Kogen, Ueda, Nagano 386-2204, Japan
| | - Peter T Rühr
- Zentrum für Molekulare Biodiversitätsforschung, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Bonn 53113, Germany
| | - Rajmund Mokso
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Pablo Villanueva
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Fabian Wilde
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Zentrum für Material- und Küstenforschung GmbH, Geesthacht 21502, Germany
| | - Marco Stampanoni
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kentaro Uesugi
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute/SPring-8, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Ryuichiro Machida
- Sugadaira Montane Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Sugadaira Kogen, Ueda, Nagano 386-2204, Japan
| | - Bernhard Misof
- Zentrum für Molekulare Biodiversitätsforschung, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Bonn 53113, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Sharma PP, Tarazona OA, Lopez DH, Schwager EE, Cohn MJ, Wheeler WC, Extavour CG. A conserved genetic mechanism specifies deutocerebral appendage identity in insects and arachnids. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150698. [PMID: 25948691 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The segmental architecture of the arthropod head is one of the most controversial topics in the evolutionary developmental biology of arthropods. The deutocerebral (second) segment of the head is putatively homologous across Arthropoda, as inferred from the segmental distribution of the tripartite brain and the absence of Hox gene expression of this anterior-most, appendage-bearing segment. While this homology statement implies a putative common mechanism for differentiation of deutocerebral appendages across arthropods, experimental data for deutocerebral appendage fate specification are limited to winged insects. Mandibulates (hexapods, crustaceans and myriapods) bear a characteristic pair of antennae on the deutocerebral segment, whereas chelicerates (e.g. spiders, scorpions, harvestmen) bear the eponymous chelicerae. In such hexapods as the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and the cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, cephalic appendages are differentiated from the thoracic appendages (legs) by the activity of the appendage patterning gene homothorax (hth). Here we show that embryonic RNA interference against hth in the harvestman Phalangium opilio results in homeonotic chelicera-to-leg transformations, and also in some cases pedipalp-to-leg transformations. In more strongly affected embryos, adjacent appendages undergo fusion and/or truncation, and legs display proximal defects, suggesting conservation of additional functions of hth in patterning the antero-posterior and proximo-distal appendage axes. Expression signal of anterior Hox genes labial, proboscipedia and Deformed is diminished, but not absent, in hth RNAi embryos, consistent with results previously obtained with the insect G. bimaculatus. Our results substantiate a deep homology across arthropods of the mechanism whereby cephalic appendages are differentiated from locomotory appendages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prashant P Sharma
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Oscar A Tarazona
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Davys H Lopez
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Evelyn E Schwager
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Martin J Cohn
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Ward C Wheeler
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Cassandra G Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Grimmel J, Dorresteijn AWC, Fröbius AC. Formation of body appendages during caudal regeneration in Platynereis dumerilii: adaptation of conserved molecular toolsets. EvoDevo 2016; 7:10. [PMID: 27076904 PMCID: PMC4830062 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-016-0046-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Platynereis and other polychaete annelids with homonomous segmentation are regarded to closely resemble ancestral forms of bilateria. The head region comprises the prostomium, the peristomium, a variable number of cephalized body segments and several appendages, like cirri, antennae and palps. The trunk of such polychaetes shows numerous, nearly identical segments. Each segment bears a parapodium with species-specific morphology on either side. The posterior end of the trunk features a segment proliferation zone and a terminal pygidium with the anus and anal cirri. The removal of a substantial part of the posterior trunk is by no means lethal. Cells at the site of injury dedifferentiate and proliferate forming a blastema to regenerate both the pygidium and the proliferation zone. The pygidium forms new anal cirri, and the proliferation zone generates new segments at a rapid pace. The formation of body appendages like the cirri and the segmental parapodia can thus be studied in the caudal regenerate of Platynereis within only a few days. Results The development of body appendages in Platynereis is regulated by a network of genes common to polychaetes but also shared by distant taxa. We isolated DNA sequences from P. dumerilii of five genes known to be involved in appendage formation within other groups: Meis/homothorax, Pbx1/extradenticle, Dlx/Distal-less, decapentaplegic and specificprotein1/buttonhead. Analyses of expression patterns during caudal regeneration by in situ hybridization reveal striking similarities related to expression in arthropods and vertebrates. All genes exhibit transient expression during differentiation and growth of segments. As was shown previously in other phyla Pdu-Meis/hth and Pdu-Pbx1/exd are co-expressed, although the expression is not limited to the proximal part of the parapodia. Pdu-Dll is prominent in parapodia but upregulated in the anal cirri. No direct dependence concerning Pdu-Dll and Pdu-sp/btd expression is observed in Platynereis. Pdu-dpp shows an expression pattern not comparable to its expression in other taxa. Conclusions The expression patterns observed suggest conserved roles of these genes during appendage formation across different clades, but the underlying mechanisms utilizing this toolset might not be identical. Some genes show broad expression along the proximodistal axis indicating a possible role in proximodistal patterning of body appendages. Other genes exhibit expression patterns limited to specific parts and tissues of the growing parapodia, thus presumably being involved in formation of taxon-specific morphological differences. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13227-016-0046-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Grimmel
- Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Abteilung Entwicklungsbiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Adriaan W C Dorresteijn
- Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Abteilung Entwicklungsbiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Andreas C Fröbius
- Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Abteilung Entwicklungsbiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Chipman AD. An embryological perspective on the early arthropod fossil record. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:285. [PMID: 26678148 PMCID: PMC4683962 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0566-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our understanding of the early evolution of the arthropod body plan has recently improved significantly through advances in phylogeny and developmental biology and through new interpretations of the fossil record. However, there has been limited effort to synthesize data from these different sources. Bringing an embryological perspective into the fossil record is a useful way to integrate knowledge from different disciplines into a single coherent view of arthropod evolution. RESULTS I have used current knowledge on the development of extant arthropods, together with published descriptions of fossils, to reconstruct the germband stages of a series of key taxa leading from the arthropod lower stem group to crown group taxa. These reconstruction highlight the main evolutionary transitions that have occurred during early arthropod evolution, provide new insights into the types of mechanisms that could have been active and suggest new questions and research directions. CONCLUSIONS The reconstructions suggest several novel homology hypotheses - e.g. the lower stem group head shield and head capsules in the crown group are all hypothesized to derive from the embryonic head lobes. The homology of anterior segments in different groups is resolved consistently. The transition between "lower-stem" and "upper-stem" arthropods is highlighted as a major transition with a concentration of novelties and innovations, suggesting a gap in the fossil record. A close relationship between chelicerates and megacheirans is supported by the embryonic reconstructions, and I suggest that the depth of the mandibulate-chelicerate split should be reexamined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ariel D Chipman
- The Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram 91904, Jerusalem, Israel. .,The Department of Paleobiology, The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Martin A, Serano JM, Jarvis E, Bruce HS, Wang J, Ray S, Barker CA, O'Connell LC, Patel NH. CRISPR/Cas9 Mutagenesis Reveals Versatile Roles of Hox Genes in Crustacean Limb Specification and Evolution. Curr Biol 2015; 26:14-26. [PMID: 26687626 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Crustaceans possess a diverse array of specialized limbs. Although shifts in Hox gene expression domains have been postulated to play a role in generating this limb diversity, little functional data have been provided to understand the precise roles of Hox genes during crustacean development. We used a combination of CRISPR/Cas9-targeted mutagenesis and RNAi knockdown to decipher the function of the six Hox genes expressed in the developing mouth and trunk of the amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis. These experimentally manipulated animals display specific and striking homeotic transformations. We found that abdominal-A (abd-A) and Abdominal-B (Abd-B) are required for proper posterior patterning, with knockout of Abd-B resulting in an animal with thoracic type legs along what would have been an abdomen, and abd-A disruption generating a simplified body plan characterized by a loss of specialization in both abdominal and thoracic appendages. In the thorax, Ubx is necessary for gill development and for repression of gnathal fate, and Antp dictates claw morphology. In the mouth, Scr and Antp confer the part-gnathal, part-thoracic hybrid identity of the maxilliped, and Scr and Dfd prevent antennal identity in posterior head segments. Our results allow us to define the role Hox genes play in specifying each appendage type in Parhyale, including the modular nature by which some appendages are patterned by Hox gene inputs. In addition, we define how changes in Hox gene expression have generated morphological differences between crustacean species. Finally, we also highlight the utility of CRISPR/Cas9-based somatic mutagenesis in emerging model organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Martin
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200 USA
| | - Julia M Serano
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200 USA
| | - Erin Jarvis
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140 USA
| | - Heather S Bruce
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200 USA
| | - Jennifer Wang
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140 USA
| | - Shagnik Ray
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200 USA
| | - Carryn A Barker
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200 USA
| | - Liam C O'Connell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140 USA
| | - Nipam H Patel
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200 USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140 USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Turetzek N, Pechmann M, Schomburg C, Schneider J, Prpic NM. Neofunctionalization of a Duplicate dachshund Gene Underlies the Evolution of a Novel Leg Segment in Arachnids. Mol Biol Evol 2015; 33:109-21. [PMID: 26443673 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msv200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of a novel function, or neofunctionalization, protects duplicated genes from redundancy and subsequent loss, and is a major force that drives adaptive evolution. Neofunctionalization has been inferred for many duplicated genes based on differences in regulation between the parental gene and its duplicate. However, only few studies actually link the new function of a duplicated gene to a novel morphological or physiological character of the organism. Here we show that the duplication of dachshund (dac) in arachnids (spiders and allies) is linked with the evolution of a novel leg segment, the patella. We have studied dac genes in two distantly related spider species, the entelegyne spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum and the haplogyne spider Pholcus phalangioides. Both species possess two paralogous dac genes that duplicated before the split between entelegyne and haplogyne spiders. In contrast to the evolutionarily highly conserved dac1, its duplicate dac2 is strongly expressed in the patella leg segment during embryogenesis in both species. Using parental RNA interference in P. tepidariorum we show that dac2 is required for the development of the patella segment. If dac2 function is impaired, then the patella is fused with the tibia into a single leg segment. Thus, removing the function of dac2 experimentally reverts P. tepidariorum leg morphology into a stage before the duplication of dac and the evolution of the patella segment. Our results indicate that the origin of the patella is the result of the duplication and subsequent neofunctionalization of dac in the arachnid lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natascha Turetzek
- Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Pechmann
- Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Schomburg
- Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Schneider
- Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nikola-Michael Prpic
- Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Matsuura Y, Kikuchi Y, Miura T, Fukatsu T. Ultrabithorax is essential for bacteriocyte development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:9376-81. [PMID: 26170303 PMCID: PMC4522796 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1503371112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Symbiosis often entails the emergence of novel adaptive traits in organisms. Microbial symbionts are indispensable for diverse insects via provisioning of essential nutrients, wherein novel host cells and organs for harboring the microbes, called bacteriocytes and bacteriomes, have evolved repeatedly. Molecular and developmental mechanisms underpinning the emergence of novel symbiotic cells and organs comprise an unsolved question in evolutionary developmental biology. Here, we report that a conserved homeotic gene, Ultrabithorax, plays a pivotal role in the bacteriocyte differentiation in a hemipteran insect Nysius plebeius. During embryonic development, six pairs of aggregated presumptive bacteriocytes appear on both sides of six abdominal segments, incorporate the symbiotic bacteria at the stage of germband retraction, and fuse into a pair of lateral bacteriomes at the stage of germband flip, where bacteriocyte-associated Ultrabithorax expression coincides with the symbiont infection process. Suppression of Ultrabithorax expression by maternal RNA interference results in disappearance of the bacteriocytes and the symbiont localization therein, suggesting that Ultrabithorax is involved in differentiation of the host cells for symbiosis. Suppression of other homeotic genes abdominal-A and Antennapedia disturbs integrity and positioning of the bacteriomes, affecting the configuration of the host organs for symbiosis. Our findings unveil the molecular and developmental mechanisms underlying the bacteriocyte differentiation, which may have evolved either via cooption of the transcription factors for inducing the novel symbiotic cells, or via revival of the developmental pathway for the bacteriocytes that had existed in the ancestral hemipterans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Matsuura
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan; Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan; Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
| | - Yoshitomo Kikuchi
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Hokkaido Center, Sapporo 062-8517, Japan
| | - Toru Miura
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan; Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan;
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Janssen R, Jörgensen M, Prpic NM, Budd GE. Aspects of dorso-ventral and proximo-distal limb patterning in onychophorans. Evol Dev 2015; 17:21-33. [DOI: 10.1111/ede.12107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Janssen
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology; Uppsala University; Villavägen 16 75236 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Mette Jörgensen
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology; Uppsala University; Villavägen 16 75236 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Nikola-Michael Prpic
- Abteilung für Entwicklungsbiologie; Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie; Georg-August-Universität Göttingen; GZMB; Ernst-Caspari-Haus; Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11 37077 Göttingen Germany
| | - Graham E. Budd
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology; Uppsala University; Villavägen 16 75236 Uppsala Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Lavine L, Gotoh H, Brent CS, Dworkin I, Emlen DJ. Exaggerated trait growth in insects. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 60:453-472. [PMID: 25341090 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-010814-021045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Animal structures occasionally attain extreme proportions, eclipsing in size the surrounding body parts. We review insect examples of exaggerated traits, such as the mandibles of stag beetles (Lucanidae), the claspers of praying mantids (Mantidae), the elongated hindlimbs of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Caelifera), and the giant heads of soldier ants (Formicidae) and termites (Isoptera). Developmentally, disproportionate growth can arise through trait-specific modifications to the activity of at least four pathways: the sex determination pathway, the appendage patterning pathway, the insulin/IGF signaling pathway, and the juvenile hormone/ecdysteroid pathway. Although most exaggerated traits have not been studied mechanistically, it is already apparent that distinct developmental mechanisms underlie the evolution of the different types of exaggerated traits. We suggest this reflects the nature of selection in each instance, revealing an exciting link between mechanism, form, and function. We use this information to make explicit predictions for the types of regulatory pathways likely to underlie each type of exaggerated trait.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Lavine
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164; ,
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Smith FW, Angelini DR, Gaudio MS, Jockusch EL. Metamorphic labral axis patterning in the beetle Tribolium castaneum requires multiple upstream, but few downstream, genes in the appendage patterning network. Evol Dev 2014; 16:78-91. [PMID: 24617987 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The arthropod labrum is an anterior appendage-like structure that forms the dorsal side of the preoral cavity. Conflicting interpretations of fossil, nervous system, and developmental data have led to a proliferation of scenarios for labral evolution. The best supported hypothesis is that the labrum is a novel structure that shares development with appendages as a result of co-option. Here, we use RNA interference in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum to compare metamorphic patterning of the labrum to previously published data on ventral appendage patterning. As expected under the co-option hypothesis, depletion of several genes resulted in similar defects in the labrum and ventral appendages. These include proximal deletions and proximal-to-distal transformations resulting from depletion of the leg gap genes homothorax and extradenticle, large-scale deletions resulting from depletion of the leg gap gene Distal-less, and smaller distal deletions resulting from knockdown of the EGF ligand Keren. However, depletion of dachshund and many of the genes that function downstream of the leg gap genes in the ventral appendages had either subtle or no effects on labral axis patterning. This pattern of partial similarity suggests that upstream genes act through different downstream targets in the labrum. We also discovered that many appendage axis patterning genes have roles in patterning the epipharyngeal sensillum array, suggesting that they have become integrated into a novel regulatory network. These genes include Notch, Delta, and decapentaplegic, and the transcription factors abrupt, bric à brac, homothorax, extradenticle and the paralogs apterous a and apterous b.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frank W Smith
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 75 N. Eagleville Rd., U-3043, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Christiaens O, Smagghe G. The challenge of RNAi-mediated control of hemipterans. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2014; 6:15-21. [PMID: 32846663 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2014.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanism RNA interference (RNAi) has potential as a crop protection strategy against important pest insects. Here we focus on Hemiptera pests, comprising some of the most devastating pest organisms as aphids, whiteflies, psyllids, bedbugs and kissing bugs. At first, a state-of-the-art overview is provided of the progress in RNAi in Hemiptera, as well as on the challenges when developing new RNAi-based pest control strategies against hemipteran pests, such as the delivery of dsRNA and degradation in the insect body. We also discuss the variability in RNAi efficiency as observed between species and experiments, and the factors potentially responsible for this phenomenon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Christiaens
- Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Smith FW, Jockusch EL. Hox genes require homothorax and extradenticle for body wall identity specification but not for appendage identity specification during metamorphosis of Tribolium castaneum. Dev Biol 2014; 395:182-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Revised: 08/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
37
|
Refki PN, Armisén D, Crumière AJJ, Viala S, Khila A. Emergence of tissue sensitivity to Hox protein levels underlies the evolution of an adaptive morphological trait. Dev Biol 2014; 392:441-53. [PMID: 24886828 PMCID: PMC4111901 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2013] [Revised: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Growth control scales morphological attributes and, therefore, provides a critical contribution to the evolution of adaptive traits. Yet, the genetic mechanisms underlying growth in the context of specific ecological adaptations are poorly understood. In water striders, adaptation to locomotion on the water surface is associated with allometric and functional changes in thoracic appendages, such that T2-legs, used as propelling oars, are longer than T3-legs, used as steering rudders. The Hox gene Ubx establishes this derived morphology by elongating T2-legs but shortening T3-legs. Using gene expression assays, RNAi knockdown, and comparative transcriptomics, we demonstrate that the evolution of water surface rowing as a novel means of locomotion is associated with the evolution of a dose-dependent promoting-repressing effect of Ubx on leg growth. In the water strider Limnoporus dissortis, T3-legs express six to seven times higher levels of Ubx compared to T2-legs. Ubx RNAi shortens T2-legs and the severity of this phenotype increases with increased depletion of Ubx protein. Conversely, Ubx RNAi lengthens T3-legs but this phenotype is partially rescued when Ubx protein is further depleted. This dose-dependent effect of Ubx on leg growth is absent in non-rowing relatives that retain the ancestral relative leg length. We also show that the spatial patterns of expression of dpp, wg, hh, egfr, dll, exd, hth, and dac are unchanged in Ubx RNAi treatments. This indicates that the dose-dependent opposite effect of Ubx on T2- and T3-legs operates without any apparent effect on the spatial expression of major leg patterning genes. Our data suggest that scaling of adaptive allometries can evolve through changes in the levels of expression of Hox proteins early during ontogeny, and in the sensitivity of the tissues that express them, without any major effects on pattern formation. Ubx is generally expressed at higher levels in T3- relative to T2-legs in semi-aquatic insects. It is only in the derived Gerridae where the high levels of Ubx result in reduced T3-leg length. In the Gerridae, the response of leg tissues to Ubx levels is bimodal. Changes in Ubx regulation and function have evolved in Limnoporus without disrupting patterning hierarchies. Changes in Hox protein levels and emergence of tissue sensitivity to these levels can shape adaptive morphological traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Nagui Refki
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d׳Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - David Armisén
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d׳Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Antonin Jean Johan Crumière
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d׳Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Séverine Viala
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d׳Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Abderrahman Khila
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d׳Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Stansbury MS, Moczek AP. The function of Hox and appendage-patterning genes in the development of an evolutionary novelty, the Photuris firefly lantern. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20133333. [PMID: 24648226 PMCID: PMC3973271 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.3333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Uncovering the mechanisms underlying the evolution of novel traits is a central challenge in biology. The lanterns of fireflies are complex traits that lack even remote homology to structures outside luminescent beetle families. Representing unambiguous novelties by the strictest definition, their developmental underpinnings may provide clues to their origin and offer insights into the mechanisms of innovation in developmental evolution. Lanterns develop within the context of abdominal Hox expression domains, and we hypothesized that lantern formation may be instructed in part by these highly conserved transcription factors. We show that transcript depletion of Abdominal-B in Photuris fireflies results in extensive disruption of the adult lantern, suggesting that the evolution of adult lanterns involved the acquisition of a novel regulatory role for this Hox gene. Using the same approach, we show that the Hox gene abdominal-A may control important secondary aspects of lantern development. Lastly, we hypothesized that lantern evolution may have involved the recruitment of dormant abdominal appendage-patterning domains; however, transcript depletion of two genes, Distal-less and dachshund, suggests that they do not contribute to lantern development. Our results suggest that complex novelties can arise within the confines of ancestral regulatory landscapes through acquisition of novel targets without compromising ancestral functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Stansbury
- Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, 1007 East Lowell Street, PO Box 210106, Tucson, AZ 85721-0106, USA
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East 3rd St., Jordan Hall 142, Bloomington, IN 47405-7005, USA
| | - Armin P. Moczek
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East 3rd St., Jordan Hall 142, Bloomington, IN 47405-7005, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Burdfield-Steel ER, Shuker DM. The evolutionary ecology of the Lygaeidae. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:2278-301. [PMID: 25360267 PMCID: PMC4201440 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Revised: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Lygaeidae (sensu lato) are a highly successful family of true bugs found worldwide, yet many aspects of their ecology and evolution remain obscure or unknown. While a few species have attracted considerable attention as model species for the study of insect physiology, it is only relatively recently that biologists have begun to explore aspects of their behavior, life history evolution, and patterns of intra- and interspecific ecological interactions across more species. As a result though, a range of new phenotypes and opportunities for addressing current questions in evolutionary ecology has been uncovered. For example, researchers have revealed hitherto unexpectedly rich patterns of bacterial symbiosis, begun to explore the evolutionary function of the family's complex genitalia, and also found evidence of parthenogenesis. Here we review our current understanding of the biology and ecology of the group as a whole, focusing on several of the best-studied characteristics of the group, including aposematism (i.e., the evolution of warning coloration), chemical communication, sexual selection (especially, postcopulatory sexual selection), sexual conflict, and patterns of host-endosymbiont coevolution. Importantly, many of these aspects of lygaeid biology are likely to interact, offering new avenues for research, for instance into how the evolution of aposematism influences sexual selection. With the growing availability of genomic tools for previously “non-model” organisms, combined with the relative ease of keeping many of the polyphagous species in the laboratory, we argue that these bugs offer many opportunities for behavioral and evolutionary ecologists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Burdfield-Steel
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, UK
| | - David M Shuker
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Smith FW, Angelini DR, Jockusch EL. A functional genetic analysis in flour beetles (Tenebrionidae) reveals an antennal identity specification mechanism active during metamorphosis in Holometabola. Mech Dev 2014; 132:13-27. [PMID: 24534744 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2014.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2013] [Revised: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The antenna was the first arthropod ventral appendage to evolve non-leg identity. Models of antennal evolution have been based on comparisons of antennal and leg identity specification mechanisms in Drosophila melanogaster, a species in which appendages develop from highly derived imaginal discs during the larval period. We test for conservation of the Drosophila antennal identity specification mechanism at metamorphosis in Tribolium castaneum and three other flour beetle species (Tribolium confusum, Tribolium brevicornis and Latheticus oryzae) in the family Tenebrionidae. In Drosophila, loss of function of four transcription factors-homothorax, extradenticle, Distal-less, and spineless-causes large-scale transformations of the antenna to leg identity. Distal-less and spineless function similarly during metamorphosis in T. castaneum. RNA interference (RNAi) targeting homothorax (hth) or extradenticle (exd) caused transformation of the proximal antenna to distal leg identity in flour beetles, but did not affect the identity of the distal antenna. This differs from the functional domain of these genes in early instar Drosophila, where they are required for identity specification throughout the antenna, but matches their functional domain in late instar Drosophila. The similarities between antennal identity specification at metamorphosis in flour beetles and in late larval Drosophila likely reflect the conservation of an ancestral metamorphic developmental mechanism. There were two notable differences in hth/exd loss of function phenotypes between flies and beetles. Flour beetles retained all of their primary segments in both the antenna and legs, whereas flies undergo reduction and fusion of primary segments. This difference in ground state appendage morphology casts doubt on interpretations of developmental ground states as evolutionary atavisms. Additionally, adult Tribolium eyes were transformed to elytron-like structures; we provide a developmental hypothesis for this evolutionarily surprising transformation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frank W Smith
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 75 N. Eagleville Rd., U-3043, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA.
| | - David R Angelini
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 75 N. Eagleville Rd., U-3043, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA; Department of Biology, Colby College, 5734 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Jockusch
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 75 N. Eagleville Rd., U-3043, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Stegner ME, Brenneis G, Richter S. The ventral nerve cord in Cephalocarida (Crustacea): New insights into the ground pattern of Tetraconata. J Morphol 2013; 275:269-94. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Revised: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin E.J. Stegner
- Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Universitätsplatz 2; 18055 Rostock Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Germany
| | - Georg Brenneis
- Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Universitätsplatz 2; 18055 Rostock Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Germany
| | - Stefan Richter
- Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Universitätsplatz 2; 18055 Rostock Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Germany
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Barnett AA, Thomas RH. The expression of limb gap genes in the mite Archegozetes longisetosus reveals differential patterning mechanisms in chelicerates. Evol Dev 2013; 15:280-92. [PMID: 23809702 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The modular organization of arthropod limbs has lead to the evolution of a diversity of appendages within this phylum. A conserved trait within the arthropods is the utilization of a conserved set of regulatory genes that specify the appendage podomeres along the proximo-distal axis, termed the limb gap genes. These include extradenticle, homothorax, dachshund, and Distal-less. The deployment of these genes in the most basally branching arthropod group, the chelicerates, has only been studied in detail in two chelicerate groups, the harvestmen and spiders. Given the broad range of appendage diversity within the chelicerates, comparative studies of gap gene deployment in other chelicerates groups is needed. We therefore followed limb gap gene expression in a member of the largest chelicerate group, Acari, the oribatid mite Archegozetes longisetosus. We show that in contrast to many arthropod species, A. longisetosus expresses homothorax and extradenticle exclusively in the proximal portion of the appendages, which refutes the hypothesis of a sister-group relationship between chelicerates and myriapods. We also provide evidence that mites posses the ancestral chelicerate condition of possessing three-segmented chelicerae, which also express the gene dachshund. This adds support to the hypothesis that a cheliceral dachshund domain is ancestral to arachnids. Lastly, we provide evidence that the suppression of the fourth pair of walking legs, a putative synapomorphy for Acari, is accomplished by repressing the development of the medial and distal regions of the limb.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Austen A Barnett
- Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Appendage patterning in the primitively wingless hexapods Thermobia domestica (Zygentoma: Lepismatidae) and Folsomia candida (Collembola: Isotomidae). Dev Genes Evol 2013; 223:341-50. [DOI: 10.1007/s00427-013-0449-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
44
|
Sharma PP, Schwager EE, Giribet G, Jockusch EL, Extavour CG. Distal-lessanddachshundpattern both plesiomorphic and apomorphic structures in chelicerates: RNA interference in the harvestmanPhalangium opilio(Opiliones). Evol Dev 2013; 15:228-42. [DOI: 10.1111/ede.12029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Evelyn E. Schwager
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Harvard University; 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; USA
| | | | - Elizabeth L. Jockusch
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Connecticut; 75 N. Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269; USA
| | - Cassandra G. Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Harvard University; 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Sharma PP, Schwager EE, Extavour CG, Giribet G. Evolution of the chelicera: adachshunddomain is retained in the deutocerebral appendage of Opiliones (Arthropoda, Chelicerata). Evol Dev 2012; 14:522-33. [DOI: 10.1111/ede.12005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Evelyn E. Schwager
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Harvard University; 26 Oxford Street; Cambridge; MA 02138; USA
| | - Cassandra G. Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Harvard University; 26 Oxford Street; Cambridge; MA 02138; USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Coulcher JF, Telford MJ. Cap'n'collar differentiates the mandible from the maxilla in the beetle Tribolium castaneum. EvoDevo 2012; 3:25. [PMID: 23114106 PMCID: PMC3534572 DOI: 10.1186/2041-9139-3-25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2012] [Accepted: 08/23/2012] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED BACKGROUND The biting mandible of the arthropods is thought to have evolved in the ancestor of the insects, crustaceans and myriapods: the Mandibulata. A unique origin suggests a common set of developmental genes will be required to pattern the mandible in different arthropods. To date we have functional studies on patterning of the mandibular segment of Drosophila melanogaster showing in particular the effects of the gene cap'n'collar (cnc), however, the dipteran head is far from representative of insects or of more distantly related mandibulates; Drosophila does not even possess a mandibular appendage. To study the development of a more representative insect mandible, we chose the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum and investigated the function of the Tribolium orthologs of cap'n'collar (Tc-cnc) and the Hox gene Deformed (Tc-Dfd). In order to determine the function of Tc-cnc and Tc-Dfd, transcripts were knocked down by maternal RNA interference (RNAi). The effects of gene knockdown were examined in the developing embryos and larvae. The effect of Tc-cnc and Tc-Dfd knockdown on the expression of other genes was determined by using in situ hybridization on Tribolium embryos. RESULTS Our analyses show that Tc-cnc is required for specification of the identity of the mandibular segment of Tribolium and differentiates the mandible from maxillary identity. Loss of Tc-cnc function results in a transformation of the mandible to maxillary identity as well as deletion of the labrum. Tc-Dfd and the Tribolium homolog of proboscipedia (Tc-mxp = maxillopedia), Hox genes that are required to pattern the maxillary appendage, are expressed in a maxilla-like manner in the transformed mandible. Tribolium homologs of paired (Tc-prd) and Distal-less (Tc-Dll) that are expressed in the endites and telopodites of embryonic appendages are also expressed in a maxilla-like manner in the transformed mandible.We also show that Tc-Dfd is required to activate the collar of Tc-cnc expression in the mandibular segment but not the cap expression in the labrum. Tc-Dfd is also required for the activation of Tc-prd in the endites of the mandible and maxillary appendages. CONCLUSIONS Tc-cnc is necessary for patterning the mandibular segment of Tribolium. Together, Tc-cnc and Tc-Dfd cooperate to specify mandibular identity, as in Drosophila. Expression patterns of the homologs of cnc and Dfd are conserved in mandibulate arthropods suggesting that the mandible specifying function of cnc is likely to be conserved across the mandibulate arthropods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua F Coulcher
- Department of Genetics, Environment and Evolution, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Extent With Modification: Leg Patterning in the Beetle Tribolium castaneum and the Evolution of Serial Homologs. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2012; 2:235-48. [PMID: 22384402 PMCID: PMC3284331 DOI: 10.1534/g3.111.001537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Accepted: 12/01/2011] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Serial homologs are similar structures that develop at different positions within a body plan. These structures share some, but not all, aspects of developmental patterning, and their evolution is thought to be constrained by shared, pleiotropic gene functions. Here we describe the functions of 17 developmental genes during metamorphic development of the legs in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. This study provides informative comparisons between appendage development in Drosophila melanogaster and T. castaneum, between embryonic and adult development in T. castaneum, and between the development of serially homologous appendages. The leg gap genes Distal-less and dachshund are conserved in function. Notch signaling, the zinc-finger transcription factors related to odd-skipped, and bric-à-brac have conserved functions in promoting joint development. homothorax knockdown alters the identity of proximal leg segments but does not reduce growth. Lim1 is required for intermediate leg development but not distal tarsus and pretarsus development as in D. melanogaster. Development of the tarsus requires decapentaplegic, rotund, spineless, abrupt, and bric-à-brac and the EGF ligand encoded by Keren. Metathoracic legs of T. castaneum have four tarsomeres, whereas other legs have five. Patterns of gene activity in the tarsus suggest that patterning in the middle of the tarsal region, not the proximal- or distal-most areas, is responsible for this difference in segment number. Through comparisons with other recent studies of T. castaneum appendage development, we test hypotheses for the modularity or interdependence of development during evolution of serial homologs.
Collapse
|
48
|
Aspiras AC, Smith FW, Angelini DR. Sex-specific gene interactions in the patterning of insect genitalia. Dev Biol 2011; 360:369-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2011] [Revised: 09/23/2011] [Accepted: 09/25/2011] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
|
49
|
Patterning of the adult mandibulate mouthparts in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Genetics 2011; 190:639-54. [PMID: 22135350 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.111.134296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Specialized insect mouthparts, such as those of Drosophila, are derived from an ancestral mandibulate state, but little is known about the developmental genetics of mandibulate mouthparts. Here, we study the metamorphic patterning of mandibulate mouthparts of the beetle Tribolium castaneum, using RNA interference to deplete the expression of 13 genes involved in mouthpart patterning. These data were used to test three hypotheses related to mouthpart development and evolution. First, we tested the prediction that maxillary and labial palps are patterned using conserved components of the leg-patterning network. This hypothesis was strongly supported: depletion of Distal-less and dachshund led to distal and intermediate deletions of these structures while depletion of homothorax led to homeotic transformation of the proximal maxilla and labium, joint formation required the action of Notch signaling components and odd-skipped paralogs, and distal growth and patterning required epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling. Additionally, depletion of abrupt or pdm/nubbin caused fusions of palp segments. Second, we tested hypotheses for how adult endites, the inner branches of the maxillary and labial appendages, are formed at metamorphosis. Our data reveal that Distal-less, Notch signaling components, and odd-skipped paralogs, but not dachshund, are required for metamorphosis of the maxillary endites. Endite development thus requires components of the limb proximal-distal axis patterning and joint segmentation networks. Finally, adult mandible development is considered in light of the gnathobasic hypothesis. Interestingly, while EGF activity is required for distal, but not proximal, patterning of other appendages, it is required for normal metamorphic growth of the mandibles.
Collapse
|
50
|
Birkan M, Schaeper ND, Chipman AD. Early patterning and blastodermal fate map of the head in the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus. Evol Dev 2011; 13:436-47. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-142x.2011.00497.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Birkan
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram; Jerusalem; 91904; Israel
| | - Nina D. Schaeper
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology; Georg-August-Universität Göttingen; GZMB, Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11; Göttingen; 37077; Germany
| | - Ariel D. Chipman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram; Jerusalem; 91904; Israel
| |
Collapse
|