| Title: | Expansion of the fatty acyl reductase gene family shaped pheromone communication in Hymenoptera |
| Author(s): | Tupec M; Bucek A; Janousek V; Vogel H; Prchalova D; Kindl J; Pavlickova T; Wenzelova P; Jahn U; Valterova I; Pichova I; |
| Address: | "Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2050-084X (Electronic) 2050-084X (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Fatty acyl reductases (FARs) are involved in the biosynthesis of fatty alcohols that serve a range of biological roles. Insects typically harbor numerous FAR gene family members. While some FARs are involved in pheromone biosynthesis, the biological significance of the large number of FARs in insect genomes remains unclear. Using bumble bee (Bombini) FAR expression analysis and functional characterization, hymenopteran FAR gene tree reconstruction, and inspection of transposable elements (TEs) in the genomic environment of FARs, we uncovered a massive expansion of the FAR gene family in Hymenoptera, presumably facilitated by TEs. The expansion occurred in the common ancestor of bumble bees and stingless bees (Meliponini). We found that bumble bee FARs from the expanded FAR-A ortholog group contribute to the species-specific pheromone composition. Our results indicate that expansion and functional diversification of the FAR gene family played a key role in the evolution of pheromone communication in Hymenoptera" |
| Keywords: | Aldehyde Oxidoreductases/*genetics/metabolism Amino Acid Sequence/genetics Animals DNA Transposable Elements Fatty Alcohols/metabolism Hymenoptera/*enzymology Pheromones/biosynthesis/*genetics/metabolism *Phylogeny Bombus lapidarius Bombus lucorum Bombus; |
| Notes: | "MedlineTupec, Michal Bucek, Ales Janousek, Vaclav Vogel, Heiko Prchalova, Darina Kindl, Jiri Pavlickova, Tereza Wenzelova, Petra Jahn, Ullrich Valterova, Irena Pichova, Iva eng 15-06569S/Czech Science Foundation/International NPU LO 1302/Ministerstvo skolstvi, mladeze a telovychovy CR/International Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2019/02/05 Elife. 2019 Feb 4; 8:e39231. doi: 10.7554/eLife.39231" |
