ArticleDevelopment genes and evolution2011
Convergent, modular expression of ebony and tan in the mimetic wing patterns of Heliconius butterflies.
Article in Development genes and evolution, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers.
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24 citing papers in PubMed, 43 citations in OpenAlex.
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- Trait differentiation and modular toxin expression in palm-pitvipers.BMC genomics · 2020Article
- Three Melanin Pathway Genes,International journal of molecular sciences · 2019Article
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- Genetic Basis of Melanin Pigmentation in Butterfly Wings.Genetics · 2017Article
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- Transcriptome analysis of the painted lady butterfly, Vanessa cardui during wing color pattern development.BMC genomics · 2016Article
- Selection of Valid Reference Genes for Reverse Transcription Quantitative PCR Analysis in Heliconius numata (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).Journal of insect science (Online) · 2016Article
- Extensive transcriptional response associated with seasonal plasticity of butterfly wing patterns.Molecular ecology · 2014Article
- The genetic control of aposematic black pigmentation in hemimetabolous insects: insights from Oncopeltus fasciatus.Evolution & development · 2014Article
- Interspecific tests of allelism reveal the evolutionary timing and pattern of accumulation of reproductive isolation mutations.PLoS genetics · 2014Article
- Multiple recent co-options of Optix associated with novel traits in adaptive butterfly wing radiations.EvoDevo · 2014Article
- Introgression of wing pattern alleles and speciation via homoploid hybridization in Heliconius butterflies: a review of evidence from the genome.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2013Review
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
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Abstract
The evolution of pigmentation in vertebrates and flies has involved repeated divergence at a small number of genes related to melanin synthesis. Here, we study insect melanin synthesis genes in Heliconius butterflies, a group characterised by its diversity of wing patterns consisting of black (melanin), and yellow and red (ommochrome) pigmented scales. Consistent with their respective biochemical roles in Drosophila melanogaster, ebony is upregulated in non-melanic wing regions destined to be pigmented red whilst tan is upregulated in melanic regions. Wing regions destined to be pigmented yellow, however, are downregulated for both genes. This pattern is conserved across multiple divergent and convergent phenotypes within the Heliconii, suggesting a conserved mechanism for the development of black, red and yellow pattern elements across the genus. Linkage mapping of five melanin biosynthesis genes showed that, in contrast to other organisms, these genes do not control pattern polymorphism. Thus, the pigmentation genes themselves are not the locus of evolutionary change but lie downstream of a wing pattern regulatory factor. The results suggest a modular system in which particular combinations of genes are switched on whenever red, yellow or black pattern elements are favoured by natural selection for diverse and mimetic wing patterns.
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