1
|
Li JX, Tian Z, Liu XF, Li B, An HM, Brent CS, Wang JL, Wang XP, Liu W. Juvenile hormone regulates the photoperiodic plasticity of elytra coloration in the ladybird Harmonia axyridis. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:2884-2897. [PMID: 36811404 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Many animals, including insects, exhibit plasticity of body colour in response to environmental changes. Varied expression of carotenoids, major cuticle pigments, significantly contributes to body colour flexibility. However, the molecular mechanisms by which environmental cues regulate carotenoid expression remain largely unknown. In this study, we used the ladybird Harmonia axyridis as a model to investigate the photoperiodic-responsive plasticity of elytra coloration and its endocrine regulation. It was found that H. axyridis females under long-day conditions develop elytra that are much redder than those under short-day conditions, resulting from the differential accumulation of carotenoids. Exogenous hormone application and RNAi-mediated gene knockdown indicate that carotenoid deposition was directed through the juvenile hormone (JH) receptor-mediated canonical pathway. Moreover, we characterized an SR-BI/CD36 (SCRB) gene SCRB10 as the carotenoid transporter responding to JH signalling and regulating the elytra coloration plasticity. Taken together, we propose that JH signalling transcriptionally regulates the carotenoid transporter gene for the photoperiodic coloration plasticity of elytra in the beetles, which reveals a novel role of the endocrine system in the regulation of carotenoid-associated animal body coloration under environmental stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Xu Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhong Tian
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xing-Feng Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Bei Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hao-Min An
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Colin S Brent
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Arid Land Agricultural Centre, Maricopa, Arizona, USA
| | - Jia-Lu Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao-Ping Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wen Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zambre AM, Burns L, Suresh J, Hegeman AD, Snell-Rood EC. Developmental plasticity in multimodal signals: light environment produces novel signalling phenotypes in a butterfly. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220099. [PMID: 35975631 PMCID: PMC9382452 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental plasticity can alter the expression of sexual signals in novel environments and is therefore thought to play an important role in promoting divergence. Sexual signals, however, are often multimodal and mate choice multivariate. Hence, to understand how developmental plasticity can facilitate divergence, we must assess plasticity across signal components and its cumulative impact on signalling. Here, we examine how developmental plasticity influences different components of cabbage white butterfly Pieris rapae multimodal signals, its effects on their signalling phenotypes and its implications for divergence. To do this, we reared P. rapae caterpillars under two different light environments (low-light and high-light) to simulate conditions experienced by P. rapae colonizing a novel light habitat. We then examined plasticity in both visual (wing coloration) and olfactory (pheromone abundance) components of male sexual signals. We found light environments influenced expression of both visual and olfactory components and resulted in a trade-off between signal modalities. The 'low-light' phenotype had duller wing colours but higher abundance of the pheromone, indole, whereas the 'high-light' phenotype had comparatively brighter wings but lower abundance of indole. These results show that by simultaneously altering expression of different signal components, developmental plasticity can produce multiple signalling phenotypes, which may catalyse divergence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amod Mohan Zambre
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Linnea Burns
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jayanti Suresh
- Department of Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Adrian D. Hegeman
- Department of Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Emilie C. Snell-Rood
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Corral‐Lopez A, Varg JE, Cano‐Cobos YP, Losada R, Realpe E, Outomuro D. Field evidence for colour mimicry overshadowing morphological mimicry. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:698-709. [PMID: 33300609 PMCID: PMC7986869 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Imperfect mimicry may be maintained when the various components of an aposematic signal have different salience for predators. Experimental laboratory studies provide robust evidence for this phenomenon. Yet, evidence from natural settings remains scarce. We studied how natural bird predators assess multiple features in a multicomponent aposematic signal in the Neotropical 'clear wing complex' mimicry ring, dominated by glasswing butterflies. We evaluated two components of the aposematic signal, wing colouration and wing morphology, in a predation experiment based on artificial replicas of glasswing butterflies (model) and Polythoridae damselflies (mimics) in their natural habitat. We also studied the extent of the colour aposematic signal in the local insect community. Finally, we inspected the nanostructures responsible for this convergent colour signal, expected to highly differ between these phylogenetically distinct species. Our results provide direct evidence for a stronger salience of wing colouration than wing morphology, as well as stronger selection on imperfect than in perfect colour mimics. Additionally, investigations of how birds perceive wing colouration of the local insect community provides further evidence that a UV-reflective white colouration is being selected as the colour aposematic signal of the mimicry ring. Using electron microscopy, we also suggest that damselflies have convergently evolved the warning colouration through a pre-adaptation. These findings provide a solid complement to previous experimental evidence suggesting a key influence of the cognitive assessment of predators driving the evolution of aposematic signals and mimicry rings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Corral‐Lopez
- Department of Ethology/ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Javier Edo Varg
- Section for Animal EcologyDepartment of Ecology and GeneticsEvolutionary Biology CentreUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Yiselle P. Cano‐Cobos
- Laboratorio de Zoología y Ecología AcuáticaDepartamento de Ciencias BiológicasUniversidad de los AndesBogotáColombia
| | - Rafael Losada
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical (CIMPAT)Departamento de Ciencias BiológicasUniversidad de los AndesBogotáColombia
| | - Emilio Realpe
- Laboratorio de Zoología y Ecología AcuáticaDepartamento de Ciencias BiológicasUniversidad de los AndesBogotáColombia
| | - David Outomuro
- Section for Animal EcologyDepartment of Ecology and GeneticsEvolutionary Biology CentreUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Present address:
Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CincinnatiRieveschl HallCincinnatiOH45221USA
| |
Collapse
|