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Fujiwara K, Miyazaki S, Maekawa K. Evolution of the sex-determination gene Doublesex within the termite lineage. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2024; 52:101297. [PMID: 39067306 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2024.101297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
The molecular mechanism of sex determination has long been considered conserved in insects. However, recent studies of hemimetabolous insects have challenged this notion. One notable example is termites. In Reticulitermes speratus, a homolog of sex determination gene, Doublesex (RsDsx), exhibits characteristics that are distinct from those of other insects, including sister-group cockroaches. It comprises a single exon, contains only doublesex/mab-3 DNA-binding domain (DM) but lacks a conserved oligomerization domain (OD), and exhibits transcriptional activity only in males. To investigate whether these characteristics are widespread within the termite lineage, we identified Dsx homologs in three different families. The absence of the conserved OD sequences was observed in all termite species examined, whereas the number of exons and expression patterns between sexes varied among families. Particularly, distinctive differences in Dsx were found in species from the Archotermopsidae and Kalotermitidae, both of which have a linear caste developmental pathway. Our findings indicate that diversification of Dsx structure and expression patterns may have contributed to ecological diversification, such as caste developmental pathways, within the termite lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kokuto Fujiwara
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Gofuku, Toyama 930-8555, Japan
| | - Satoshi Miyazaki
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo 194-8610, Japan
| | - Kiyoto Maekawa
- Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Gofuku, Toyama 930-8555, Japan.
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2
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Merondun J, Marques CI, Andrade P, Meshcheryagina S, Galván I, Afonso S, Alves JM, Araújo PM, Bachurin G, Balacco J, Bán M, Fedrigo O, Formenti G, Fossøy F, Fülöp A, Golovatin M, Granja S, Hewson C, Honza M, Howe K, Larson G, Marton A, Moskát C, Mountcastle J, Procházka P, Red’kin Y, Sims Y, Šulc M, Tracey A, Wood JMD, Jarvis ED, Hauber ME, Carneiro M, Wolf JBW. Evolution and genetic architecture of sex-limited polymorphism in cuckoos. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl5255. [PMID: 38657058 PMCID: PMC11042743 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl5255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Sex-limited polymorphism has evolved in many species including our own. Yet, we lack a detailed understanding of the underlying genetic variation and evolutionary processes at work. The brood parasitic common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a prime example of female-limited color polymorphism, where adult males are monochromatic gray and females exhibit either gray or rufous plumage. This polymorphism has been hypothesized to be governed by negative frequency-dependent selection whereby the rarer female morph is protected against harassment by males or from mobbing by parasitized host species. Here, we show that female plumage dichromatism maps to the female-restricted genome. We further demonstrate that, consistent with balancing selection, ancestry of the rufous phenotype is shared with the likewise female dichromatic sister species, the oriental cuckoo (Cuculus optatus). This study shows that sex-specific polymorphism in trait variation can be resolved by genetic variation residing on a sex-limited chromosome and be maintained across species boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Merondun
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Department of Ornithology, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Cristiana I. Marques
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Swetlana Meshcheryagina
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Ismael Galván
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Afonso
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Joel M. Alves
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- Palaeogenomics and Bio-Archaeology Research Network, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Pedro M. Araújo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, MARE–Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Jennifer Balacco
- The Vertebrate Genome Lab, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Miklós Bán
- HUN-REN-UD Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Olivier Fedrigo
- The Vertebrate Genome Lab, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Giulio Formenti
- The Vertebrate Genome Lab, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Frode Fossøy
- Centre for Biodiversity Genetics, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Attila Fülöp
- HUN-REN-UD Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- STAR-UBB Institute of Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mikhail Golovatin
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Sofia Granja
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
- Palaeogenomics and Bio-Archaeology Research Network, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | | | - Marcel Honza
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kerstin Howe
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Greger Larson
- Palaeogenomics and Bio-Archaeology Research Network, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Attila Marton
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Csaba Moskát
- Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Petr Procházka
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Ying Sims
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Michal Šulc
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alan Tracey
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | | | - Erich D. Jarvis
- The Vertebrate Genome Lab, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mark E. Hauber
- Advanced Science Research Center and Program in Psychology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Miguel Carneiro
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Jochen B. W. Wolf
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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Hull JJ, Heu CC, Gross RJ, LeRoy DM, Schutze IX, Langhorst D, Fabrick JA, Brent CS. Doublesex is essential for masculinization but not feminization in Lygus hesperus. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 166:104085. [PMID: 38307215 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
In most holometabolous insects, sex differentiation occurs via a hierarchical cascade of transcription factors, with doublesex (dsx) regulating genes that control sex-specific traits. Although less is known in hemimetabolous insects, early evidence suggests that substantial differences exist from more evolutionarily advanced insects. Here, we identified and characterized dsx in Lygus hesperus (western tarnished plant bug), a hemipteran pest of many agricultural crops in western North America. The full-length transcript for L. hesperus dsx (Lhdsx) and several variants encode proteins with conserved DNA binding and oligomerization domains. Transcript profiling revealed that Lhdsx is ubiquitously expressed, likely undergoes alternative pre-mRNA splicing, and, unlike several model insects, is sex-biased rather than sex-specific. Embryonic RNA interference (RNAi) of Lhdsx only impacted sex development in adult males, which lacked both internal reproductive organs and external genitalia. No discernible impacts on adult female development or reproductivity were observed. RNAi knockdown of Lhdsx in nymphs likewise only affected adult males, which lacked the characteristic dimorphic coloration but had dramatically elevated vitellogenin transcripts. Gene knockout of Lhdsx by CRISPR/Cas9 editing yielded only females in G0 and strongly biased heterozygous G1 offspring to females with the few surviving males showing severely impaired genital development. These results indicate that L. hesperus male development requires Lhdsx, whereas female development proceeds via a basal pathway that functions independently of dsx. A fundamental understanding of sex differentiation in L. hesperus could be important for future gene-based management strategies of this important agricultural pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Joe Hull
- USDA ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, 85138, USA.
| | - Chan C Heu
- USDA ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, 85138, USA
| | - Roni J Gross
- USDA ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, 85138, USA
| | - Dannialle M LeRoy
- USDA ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, 85138, USA
| | - Inana X Schutze
- USDA ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, 85138, USA
| | - Daniel Langhorst
- USDA ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, 85138, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Fabrick
- USDA ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, 85138, USA
| | - Colin S Brent
- USDA ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, 85138, USA
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Willink B, Tunström K, Nilén S, Chikhi R, Lemane T, Takahashi M, Takahashi Y, Svensson EI, Wheat CW. The genomics and evolution of inter-sexual mimicry and female-limited polymorphisms in damselflies. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:83-97. [PMID: 37932383 PMCID: PMC10781644 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02243-1] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Sex-limited morphs can provide profound insights into the evolution and genomic architecture of complex phenotypes. Inter-sexual mimicry is one particular type of sex-limited polymorphism in which a novel morph resembles the opposite sex. While inter-sexual mimics are known in both sexes and a diverse range of animals, their evolutionary origin is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the genomic basis of female-limited morphs and male mimicry in the common bluetail damselfly. Differential gene expression between morphs has been documented in damselflies, but no causal locus has been previously identified. We found that male mimicry originated in an ancestrally sexually dimorphic lineage in association with multiple structural changes, probably driven by transposable element activity. These changes resulted in ~900 kb of novel genomic content that is partly shared by male mimics in a close relative, indicating that male mimicry is a trans-species polymorphism. More recently, a third morph originated following the translocation of part of the male-mimicry sequence into a genomic position ~3.5 mb apart. We provide evidence of balancing selection maintaining male mimicry, in line with previous field population studies. Our results underscore how structural variants affecting a handful of potentially regulatory genes and morph-specific genes can give rise to novel and complex phenotypic polymorphisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Willink
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Kalle Tunström
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sofie Nilén
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rayan Chikhi
- Sequence Bioinformatics, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Téo Lemane
- University of Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France
| | - Michihiko Takahashi
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuma Takahashi
- Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
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5
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Happle R. [Update on nevi and nevoid skin disorders]. DERMATOLOGIE (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 74:310-315. [PMID: 36932209 DOI: 10.1007/s00105-023-05135-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Autosomal dominant transmission with sex-limited manifestation represents a previously unrecognized mode of inheritance. The white lentiginosis of Grosshans exclusively occurs in females, whereas male gene carriers remain clinically unaffected but can transmit the underlying mutation to their offspring. There are some other examples: Hereditary bilateral lymphedema of the CELSR1 type that only occurs in females, too. Unlike common sebaceous nevus (HRAS or KRAS mutations), cerebriform sebaceous nevus is caused by a postzygotic lethal FGFR2 mutation. Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita and reticular capillary nevus have previously been considered one single entity. Today, their dichotomy is proven at the molecular level. It is important to be aware of the new port-wine nevus of the AKT3 type because this anomaly may constitute a cutaneous marker of severe congenital brain defects. The newly described transient abdominal telangiectasia in newborns can easily be mistaken as a capillary nevus, but represents an innocuous neonatal phenomenon that spontaneously fades away within the first three months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Happle
- Universitäts-Hautklinik, Hauptstr. 7, 79104, Freiburg, Deutschland.
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6
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Sex-specific morphs: the genetics and evolution of intra-sexual variation. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:44-52. [PMID: 35971002 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-022-00524-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Sex-specific morphs exhibit discrete phenotypes, often including many disparate traits, that are observed in only one sex. These morphs have evolved independently in many different animals and are often associated with alternative mating strategies. The remarkable diversity of sex-specific morphs offers unique opportunities to understand the genetic basis of complex phenotypes, as the distinct nature of many morphs makes it easier to both categorize and compare genomes than for continuous traits. Sex-specific morphs also expand the study of sexual dimorphism beyond traditional bimodal comparisons of male and female averages, as they allow for a more expansive range of sexualization. Although ecological and endocrinological studies of sex-specific morphs have been advancing for some time, genomic and transcriptomic studies of morphs are far more recent. These studies reveal not only many different paths to the evolution of sex-specific morphs but also many commonalities, such as the role of sex-determining genes and hormone signalling in morph development, and the mixing of male and female traits within some morphs.
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7
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Saccone G. A history of the genetic and molecular identification of genes and their functions controlling insect sex determination. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 151:103873. [PMID: 36400424 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The genetics of the sex determination regulatory cascade in Drosophila melanogaster has a fascinating history, interlinked with the foundation of the Genetics discipline itself. The discovery that alternative splicing rather than differential transcription is the molecular mechanism underlying the upstream control of sex differences in the Drosophila model system was surprising. This notion is now fully integrated into the scientific canon, appearing in many genetics textbooks and online education resources. In the last three decades, it was a key reference point for starting evolutionary studies in other insect species by using homology-based approaches. This review will introduce a very brief history of Drosophila genetics. It will describe the genetic and molecular approaches applied for the identifying and cloning key genes involved in sex determination in Drosophila and in many other insect species. These comparative analyses led to supporting the idea that sex-determining pathways have evolved mainly by recruiting different upstream signals/genes while maintaining widely conserved intermediate and downstream regulatory genes. The review also provides examples of the link between technological advances and research achievements, to stimulate reflections on how science is produced. It aims to hopefully strengthen the related historical and conceptual knowledge of general readers of other disciplines and of younger geneticists, often focused on the latest technical-molecular approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126, Naples, Italy.
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8
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Chikami Y, Okuno M, Toyoda A, Itoh T, Niimi T. Evolutionary history of sexual differentiation mechanism in insects. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6618292. [PMID: 35820410 PMCID: PMC9290531 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing underpins functional diversity in proteins and the complexity and diversity of eukaryotes. An example is the doublesex gene, the key transcriptional factor in arthropod sexual differentiation. doublesex is controlled by sex-specific splicing and promotes both male and female differentiation in holometabolan insects, whereas in hemimetabolan species, doublesex has sex-specific isoforms but is not required for female differentiation. How doublesex evolved to be essential for female development remains largely unknown. Here, we investigate ancestral states of doublesex using Thermobia domestica belonging to Zygentoma, the sister group of Pterygota, that is, winged insects. We find that, in T. domestica, doublesex expresses sex-specific isoforms but is only necessary for male differentiation of sexual morphology. This result supports the hypothesis that doublesex initially promoted male differentiation during insect evolution. However, T. domestica doublesex has a short female-specific region and upregulates the expression of vitellogenin homologs in females, suggesting that doublesex may already play some role in female morphogenesis of the common ancestor of Pterygota. Reconstruction of the ancestral sequence and prediction of protein structures show that the female-specific isoform of doublesex has an extended C-terminal disordered region in holometabolan insects but not in nonholometabolan species. We propose that doublesex acquired its function in female morphogenesis through a change in the protein motif structure rather than the emergence of the female-specific exon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiko Chikami
- Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Miki Okuno
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Infectious Medicine, School of Medicine, Kurume University, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.,Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Takehiko Itoh
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Niimi
- Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
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9
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Hendrickx F, De Corte Z, Sonet G, Van Belleghem SM, Köstlbacher S, Vangestel C. A masculinizing supergene underlies an exaggerated male reproductive morph in a spider. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:195-206. [PMID: 34949821 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01626-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In many species, individuals can develop into strikingly different morphs, which are determined by a simple Mendelian locus. How selection shapes loci that control complex phenotypic differences remains poorly understood. In the spider Oedothorax gibbosus, males develop either into a 'hunched' morph with conspicuous head structures or as a fast-developing 'flat' morph with a female-like appearance. We show that the hunched-determining allele contains a unique genomic fragment of approximately 3 megabases that is absent in the flat-determining allele. This fragment comprises dozens of genes that duplicated from genes found at the same as well as different chromosomes. All functional duplicates, including a duplicate of the key sexual differentiation regulatory gene doublesex, show male-specific expression, which illustrates their integrated role as a masculinizing supergene. Our findings demonstrate how extensive indel polymorphisms and duplications of regulatory genes may contribute to the evolution of co-adapted gene clusters, sex-limited reproductive morphs and the enigmatic evolution of exaggerated sexual traits in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Hendrickx
- OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium. .,Terrestrial Ecology Unity, Biology Department, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
| | - Zoë De Corte
- OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gontran Sonet
- OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Steven M Van Belleghem
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Stephan Köstlbacher
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Carl Vangestel
- OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.,Terrestrial Ecology Unity, Biology Department, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
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10
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Happle R. White lentiginosis of Grosshans: which mode of inheritance? J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2021; 36:e290-e291. [PMID: 34918384 DOI: 10.1111/jdv.17878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R Happle
- Department of Dermatology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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11
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Takahashi M, Okude G, Futahashi R, Takahashi Y, Kawata M. The effect of the doublesex gene in body colour masculinization of the damselfly Ischnura senegalensis. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200761. [PMID: 34102071 PMCID: PMC8187028 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Odonata species display a remarkable diversity of colour patterns, including intrasexual polymorphisms. In the damselfly (Ischnura senegalensis), the expression of a sex-determining transcription factor, the doublesex (Isdsx) gene is reportedly associated with female colour polymorphism (CP) (gynomorph for female-specific colour and andromorph for male-mimicking colour). Here, the function of Isdsx in thoracic coloration was investigated by electroporation-mediated RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi of the Isdsx common region in males and andromorphic females reduced melanization and thus changed the colour pattern into that of gynomorphic females, while the gynomorphic colour pattern was not affected. By contrast, RNAi against the Isdsx long isoform produced no changes, suggesting that the Isdsx short isoform is important for body colour masculinization in both males and andromorphic females. When examining the expression levels of five genes with differences between sexes and female morphs, two melanin-suppressing genes, black and ebony, were expressed at higher levels in the Isdsx RNAi body area than a control area. Therefore, the Isdsx short isoform may induce thoracic colour differentiation by suppressing black and ebony, thereby generating female CP in I. senegalensis. These findings contribute to the understanding of the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms underlying female CP in Odonata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michihiko Takahashi
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Genta Okude
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
| | - Ryo Futahashi
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
| | - Yuma Takahashi
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi, Inage, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Masakado Kawata
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
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A molecularphylogeny offorktail damselflies(genus Ischnura)revealsa dynamic macroevolutionary history of female colour polymorphisms. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 160:107134. [PMID: 33677008 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Colour polymorphisms are popular study systems among biologists interested in evolutionary dynamics, genomics, sexual selection and sexual conflict. In many damselfly groups, such as in the globally distributed genus Ischnura (forktails), sex-limited female colour polymorphisms occur in multiple species. Female-polymorphic species contain two or three female morphs, one of which phenotypically matches the male (androchrome or male mimic) and the other(s) which are phenotypically distinct from the male (heterochrome). These female colour polymorphisms are thought to be maintained by frequency-dependent sexual conflict, but their macroevolutionary histories are unknown, due to the lack of a robust molecular phylogeny. Here, we present the first time-calibrated phylogeny of Ischnura, using a multispecies coalescent approach (StarBEAST2) and incorporating both molecular and fossil data for 41 extant species (55% of the genus). We estimate the age of Ischnura to be between 13.8 and 23.4 millions of years, i.e. Miocene. We infer the ancestral state of this genus as female monomorphism with heterochrome females, with multiple gains and losses of female polymorphisms, evidence of trans-species female polymorphisms and a significant positive relationship between female polymorphism incidence and current geographic range size. Our study provides a robust phylogenetic framework for future research on the dynamic macroevolutionary history of this clade with its extraordinary diversity of sex-limited female polymorphisms.
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Okude G, Futahashi R. Pigmentation and color pattern diversity in Odonata. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 69:14-20. [PMID: 33482606 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) comprises diurnal insects with well-developed vision, showing diverse colors in adult wings and bodies. It is one of the most ancestral winged insect groups. Because Odonata species use visual cues to recognize each other, color patterns have been investigated from ecological and evolutionary viewpoints. Here we review the recent progress on molecular mechanisms of pigmentation, especially focused on light-blue coloration. Results from histology and pigment analysis showed that ommochrome pigments on the proximal layer and pteridine pigments on the distal layer of the epidermis are essential for light-blue coloration. We also summarize genes involved in the biosynthesis of three major insect pigments conserved across insects and discuss that gene-functional analysis deserves future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genta Okude
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan; Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan.
| | - Ryo Futahashi
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan.
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Willink B, Duryea MC, Wheat C, Svensson EI. Changes in gene expression during female reproductive development in a color polymorphic insect. Evolution 2020; 74:1063-1081. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Willink
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Ecology BuildingLund University Lund 223–62 Sweden
- Current Address: School of BiologyUniversity of Costa Rica San José 11501–2060 Costa Rica
| | | | | | - Erik I. Svensson
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Ecology BuildingLund University Lund 223–62 Sweden
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Willink B, Duryea MC, Svensson EI. Macroevolutionary Origin and Adaptive Function of a Polymorphic Female Signal Involved in Sexual Conflict. Am Nat 2019; 194:707-724. [DOI: 10.1086/705294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Henze MJ, Lind O, Wilts BD, Kelber A. Pterin-pigmented nanospheres create the colours of the polymorphic damselfly Ischnura elegans. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20180785. [PMID: 30991898 PMCID: PMC6505549 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal colours commonly act as signals for mates or predators. In many damselfly species, both sexes go through a developmental colour change as adults, and females often show colour polymorphism, which may have a function in mate choice, avoidance of mating harassment and camouflage. In the blue-tailed damselfly, Ischnura elegans, young males are bright green and turn blue as they reach maturity. Females are red ( rufescens) or violet ( violacea) as immatures and, when mature, either mimic the blue colour of the males ( androchrome), or acquire an inconspicuous olive-green ( infuscans) or olive-brown ( obsoleta). The genetic basis of these differences is still unknown. Here, we quantify the colour development of all morphs of I. elegans and investigate colour formation by combining anatomical data and reflectance spectra with optical finite-difference time-domain simulations. While the coloration primarily arises from a disordered assembly of nanospheres in the epidermis, morph-dependent changes result from adjustments in the composition of pterin pigments within the nanospheres, and from associated shifts in optical density. Other pigments fine-tune hue and brilliance by absorbing stray light. These mechanisms produce an impressive palette of colours and offer guidance for genetic studies on the evolution of colour polymorphism and visual communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam J. Henze
- Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Olle Lind
- Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Bodo D. Wilts
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, NL-9747AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Almut Kelber
- Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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