« Previous AbstractSex pheromone candidates with a conjugated triene system: Synthesis and chemical characterization    Next AbstractSemiochemicals containing lepidopteran sex pheromones: Wonderland for a natural product chemist »

BMC Evol Biol

Title:		The pivotal role of aristaless in development and evolution of diverse antennal morphologies in moths and butterflies
Author(s):		Ando T; Fujiwara H; Kojima T;
Address:		"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. Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562, Japan. haruh@edu.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp. Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562, Japan. tkojima@k.u-tokyo.ac.jp"
Journal Title:		BMC Evol Biol
Year:		2018
Volume:		20180125
Issue:		1
Page Number:		8 -
DOI:		10.1186/s12862-018-1124-2
ISSN/ISBN:		1471-2148 (Electronic) 1471-2148 (Linking)
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"
Keywords:		"Animals Arthropod Antennae/*anatomy & histology *Biological Evolution Body Patterning/genetics Bombyx/anatomy & histology/genetics Butterflies/*anatomy & histology/*embryology/genetics Female Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental *Genes, Homeobox Male;"
Notes:		"MedlineAndo, Toshiya Fujiwara, Haruhiko Kojima, Tetsuya eng 08J08820/Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/International 20570198/Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/International 24570230/Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/International 20017007/Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology/International 22128005/Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology/International 15H05778/Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology/International Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2018/01/27 BMC Evol Biol. 2018 Jan 25; 18(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s12862-018-1124-2"