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Hanly JJ, Francescutti CM, Loh LS, Corning OBWH, Long DJ, Nakatani MA, Porter AH, Martin A. Genetics of yellow-orange color variation in a pair of sympatric sulphur butterflies. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112820. [PMID: 37481719 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112820] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Continuous color polymorphisms can serve as a tractable model for the genetic and developmental architecture of traits. Here we investigated continuous color variation in Colias eurytheme and Colias philodice, two species of sulphur butterflies that hybridize in sympatry. Using quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis and high-throughput color quantification, we found two interacting large-effect loci affecting orange-to-yellow chromaticity. Knockouts of red Malpighian tubules (red), likely involved in endosomal maturation, result in depigmented wing scales. Additionally, the transcription factor bric-a-brac can act as a modulator of orange pigmentation. We also describe the QTL architecture of other continuously varying traits, together supporting a large-X effect model where the genetic control of species-defining traits is enriched on sex chromosomes. This study sheds light on the range of possible genetic architectures that can underpin a continuously varying trait and illustrates the power of using automated measurement to score phenotypes that are not always conspicuous to the human eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Hanly
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama.
| | | | - Ling S Loh
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Olaf B W H Corning
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Derek J Long
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Marshall A Nakatani
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Adam H Porter
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
| | - Arnaud Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
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Wagner A, Upcher A, Maria R, Magnesen T, Zelinger E, Raposo G, Palmer BA. Macromolecular sheets direct the morphology and orientation of plate-like biogenic guanine crystals. Nat Commun 2023; 14:589. [PMID: 36737617 PMCID: PMC9898273 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35894-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals precisely control the morphology and assembly of guanine crystals to produce diverse optical phenomena in coloration and vision. However, little is known about how organisms regulate crystallization to produce optically useful morphologies which express highly reflective crystal faces. Guanine crystals form inside iridosome vesicles within chromatophore cells called iridophores. By following iridosome formation in developing scallop eyes, we show that pre-assembled, fibrillar sheets provide an interface for nucleation and direct the orientation of the guanine crystals. The macromolecular sheets cap the (100) faces of immature guanine crystals, inhibiting growth along the π-stacking growth direction. Crystal growth then occurs preferentially along the sheets to generate highly reflective plates. Despite their different physical properties, the morphogenesis of iridosomes bears a striking resemblance to melanosome morphogenesis in vertebrates, where amyloid sheets template melanin deposition. The common control mechanisms for melanin and guanine formation inspire new approaches for manipulating the morphologies and properties of molecular materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avital Wagner
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, 8410501, Israel
| | - Alexander Upcher
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, 8410501, Israel
| | - Raquel Maria
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, 8410501, Israel
| | - Thorolf Magnesen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Postbox 7803, Bergen, N-5020, Norway
| | - Einat Zelinger
- The CSI Center for Scientific Imaging, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Graça Raposo
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR144, Structure and Membrane Compartments, 75005, Paris, France.,Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR144, Cell and Tissue Imaging Facility (PICT-IBiSA), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin A Palmer
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, 8410501, Israel.
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Eyal Z, Deis R, Varsano N, Dezorella N, Rechav K, Houben L, Gur D. Plate-like Guanine Biocrystals Form via Templated Nucleation of Crystal Leaflets on Preassembled Scaffolds. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:22440-22445. [PMID: 36469805 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c11136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Controlling the morphology of crystalline materials is challenging, as crystals have a strong tendency toward thermodynamically stable structures. Yet, organisms form crystals with distinct morphologies, such as the plate-like guanine crystals produced by many terrestrial and aquatic species for light manipulation. Regulation of crystal morphogenesis was hypothesized to entail physical growth restriction by the surrounding membrane, combined with fine-tuned interactions between organic molecules and the growing crystal. Using cryo-electron tomography of developing zebrafish larvae, we found that guanine crystals form via templated nucleation of thin leaflets on preassembled scaffolds made of 20-nm-thick amyloid fibers. These leaflets then merge and coalesce into a single plate-like crystal. Our findings shed light on the biological regulation of crystal morphogenesis, which determines their optical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohar Eyal
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Rachael Deis
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Neta Varsano
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Nili Dezorella
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Katya Rechav
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Lothar Houben
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Dvir Gur
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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Towards routine 3D characterization of intact mesoscale samples by multi-scale and multimodal scanning X-ray tomography. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16924. [PMID: 36209291 PMCID: PMC9547857 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21368-0] [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: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-invasive multi-scale and multimodal 3D characterization of heterogeneous or hierarchically structured intact mesoscale samples is of paramount importance in tackling challenging scientific problems. Scanning hard X-ray tomography techniques providing simultaneous complementary 3D information are ideally suited to such studies. However, the implementation of a robust on-site workflow remains the bottleneck for the widespread application of these powerful multimodal tomography methods. In this paper, we describe the development and implementation of such a robust, holistic workflow, including semi-automatic data reconstruction. Due to its flexibility, our approach is especially well suited for on-the-fly tuning of the experiments to study features of interest progressively at different length scales. To demonstrate the performance of the method, we studied, across multiple length scales, the elemental abundances and morphology of two complex biological systems, Arabidopsis plant seeds and mouse renal papilla samples. The proposed approach opens the way towards routine multimodal 3D characterization of intact samples by providing relevant information from pertinent sample regions in a wide range of scientific fields such as biology, geology, and material sciences.
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Francescutti CM, Martin A, Hanly JJ. Knockdowns of red Malphigian tubules reveal pigmentation roles in the milkweed bug. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2022; 338:382-387. [PMID: 35189035 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Classical Drosophila eye color mutations have unearthed a toolkit of genes that have permitted candidate gene studies of the outstanding diversity of coloration patterns in other insects. The gene underlying the eye color phenotypes of the red Malphigian tubules (red) fly mutant was mapped to a LysM domain gene of unknown molecular function. Here, we used RNAi to test the role of a red ortholog in the pigmentation of the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus, and contrast its effect with the ommochrome biosynthetic pathway gene vermilion (ver). Pigmentation was reduced in the cuticle of embryonic legs and first instar abdomens following parental RNAi against red, but not against ver, likely reflecting an effect on pterin biogenesis. Nymphal RNAi of red and ver both resulted in adult eye depigmentation, consistent with an effect on ommochrome content. These results suggest red loss-of-function impacts biochemically distinct types of pigments, and we discuss its putative role in the biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles such as ommochromasomes and pterinosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M Francescutti
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Arnaud Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Joseph J Hanly
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
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Abstract
SignificanceZinc deficiency in the human population, a major public health concern, can also be a consequence of nutritional deficiency in protein uptake. The discovery that tryptophan metabolites 3-hydroxykynurenine and xanthurenic acid are major zinc-binding ligands in insect cells establishes the kynurenine pathway as a regulator of systemic zinc homeostasis. Many biological processes influenced by zinc and the kynurenine pathway, including the regulation of innate and acquired immune responses to viral infections, have not been studied in light of the direct molecular links revealed in this study.
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Figon F, Deravi LF, Casas J. Barriers and Promises of the Developing Pigment Organelle Field. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1481-1489. [PMID: 34283212 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many colors and patterns in nature are regulated by the packaging and processing of intracellular pigment-containing organelles within cells. Spanning both molecular and tissue-level spatial scales with chemical and physical (structural) elements of coloration, pigment organelles represent an important but largely understudied feature of every biological system capable of coloration. Although vertebrate melanosomes have historically been the best-known and most studied pigment organelle, recent reports suggest a surge in studies focusing on other pigment organelles producing a variety of non-melanic pigments, optic crystals and structural colors through their geometric arrangement. In this issue, we showcase the importance these integrative and comparative studies and discuss their results which aid in our understanding of organelle form and function in their native environment. Specifically, we highlight how pigment organelles can be studied at different scales of organization, across multiple species in biology, and with an interdisciplinary approach to better understand the biological and chemical mechanisms underlying color. This type of comparative approach provides evidence for a common origin and identity of membrane-bound pigment organelles not only in vertebrates, as was originally postulated 40 years ago, but in all animals. This indicates that we have much to gain by studying a variety of pigment organelles, as the specific biological context may provide important and unique insights into various aspects of its life. We conclude by highlighting some barriers to this research and discussing strategies to overcome them through a discussion of future directions for pigment organelle research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Figon
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS-Université de Tours, 37200 Tours, France
| | - Leila F Deravi
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jérôme Casas
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS-Université de Tours, 37200 Tours, France
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