RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Genetic Basis of Melanin Pigmentation in Butterfly Wings
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 102632
DO 10.1101/102632
A1 Linlin Zhang
A1 Arnaud Martin
A1 Michael W. Perry
A1 Karin R.L. van der Burg
A1 Yuji Matsuoka
A1 Antónia Monteiro
A1 Robert D. Reed
YR 2017
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/02/07/102632.abstract
AB Despite the variety, prominence, and adaptive significance of butterfly wing patterns surprisingly little known about the genetic basis of wing color diversity. Even though there is intense interest in wing pattern evolution and development, the technical challenge of genetically manipulating butterflies has slowed efforts to functionally characterize color pattern development genes. To identify candidate wing pigmentation genes we used RNA-seq to characterize transcription across multiple stages of butterfly wing development, and between different color pattern elements, in the painted lady butterfly Vanessa cardui. This allowed us to pinpoint genes specifically associated with red and black pigment patterns. To test the functions of a subset of genes associated with presumptive melanin pigmentation we used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in four different butterfly genera. pale, Ddc, and yellow knockouts displayed reduction of melanin pigmentation, consistent with previous findings in other insects. Interestingly, however, yellow-d, ebony, and black knockouts revealed that these genes have localized effects on tuning the color of red, brown, and ochre pattern elements. These results point to previously undescribed mechanisms for modulating the color of specific wing pattern elements in butterflies, and provide an expanded portrait of the insect melanin pathway.