scholarly journals Pleiotropic Effects of ebony and tan on Pigmentation and Cuticular Hydrocarbon Composition in Drosophila melanogaster

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan H. Massey ◽  
Noriyoshi Akiyama ◽  
Tanja Bien ◽  
Klaus Dreisewerd ◽  
Patricia J. Wittkopp ◽  
...  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Massey ◽  
N. Akiyama ◽  
T. Bien ◽  
K. Dreisewerd ◽  
P. J. Wittkopp ◽  
...  

AbstractPleiotropic genes are genes that affect more than one trait. For example, many genes required for pigmentation in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster also affect traits such as circadian rhythms, vision, and mating behavior. Here, we present evidence that two pigmentation genes, ebony and tan, which encode enzymes catalyzing reciprocal reactions in the melanin biosynthesis pathway, also affect cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) composition in D. melanogaster females. More specifically, we report that ebony loss-of-function mutants have a CHC profile that is biased toward long (>25C) chain CHCs, whereas tan loss-of-function mutants have a CHC profile that is biased toward short (<25C) chain CHCs. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of dopamine synthesis, a key step in the melanin synthesis pathway, reversed the changes in CHC composition seen in ebony mutants, making the CHC profiles similar to those seen in tan mutants. These observations suggest that genetic variation affecting ebony and/or tan activity might cause correlated changes in pigmentation and CHC composition in natural populations. We tested this possibility using the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and found that CHC composition covaried with pigmentation as well as levels of ebony and tan expression in newly eclosed adults in a manner consistent with the ebony and tan mutant phenotypes. These data suggest that the pleiotropic effects of ebony and tan might contribute to covariation of pigmentation and CHC profiles in Drosophila.


eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren M Dembeck ◽  
Katalin Böröczky ◽  
Wen Huang ◽  
Coby Schal ◽  
Robert R H Anholt ◽  
...  

Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) prevent desiccation and serve as chemical signals that mediate social interactions. Drosophila melanogaster CHCs have been studied extensively, but the genetic basis for individual variation in CHC composition is largely unknown. We quantified variation in CHC profiles in the D. melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and identified novel CHCs. We used principal component (PC) analysis to extract PCs that explain the majority of CHC variation and identified polymorphisms in or near 305 and 173 genes in females and males, respectively, associated with variation in these PCs. In addition, 17 DGRP lines contain the functional Desat2 allele characteristic of African and Caribbean D. melanogaster females (more 5,9-C27:2 and less 7,11-C27:2, female sex pheromone isomers). Disruption of expression of 24 candidate genes affected CHC composition in at least one sex. These genes are associated with fatty acid metabolism and represent mechanistic targets for individual variation in CHC composition.


2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 624-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Gemeno ◽  
N. Laserna ◽  
M. Riba ◽  
J. Valls ◽  
C. Castañé ◽  
...  

AbstractMacrolophus pygmaeus is commercially employed in the biological control of greenhouse and field vegetable pests. It is morphologically undistinguishable from the cryptic species M. melanotoma, and this interferes with the evaluation of the biological control activity of M. pygmaeus. We analysed the potential of cuticular hydrocarbon composition as a method to discriminate the two Macrolophus species. A third species, M. costalis, which is different from the other two species by having a dark spot at the tip of the scutellum, served as a control. Sex, diet and species, all had significant effects in the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, but the variability associated to sex or diet was smaller than among species. Discriminant quadratic analysis of cuticular hydrocarbons confirmed the results of previous molecular genetic studies and showed, using cross-validation methods, that M. pygmaeus can be discriminated from M. costalis and M. melanotoma with prediction errors of 6.75% and 0%, respectively. Therefore, cuticular hydrocarbons can be used to separate M. pygmaeus from M. melanotoma reliably.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aya Takahashi ◽  
Nao Fujiwara-Tsujii ◽  
Ryohei Yamaoka ◽  
Masanobu Itoh ◽  
Mamiko Ozaki ◽  
...  

Intraspecific variation in mating signals and preferences can be a potential source of incipient speciation. Variable crossability between Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans among different strains suggested the abundance of such variations. A particular focus on one combination of D. melanogaster strains, TW1(G23) and Mel6(G59), that showed different crossabilities to D. simulans, revealed that the mating between females from the former and males from the latter occurs at low frequency. The cuticular hydrocarbon transfer experiment indicated that cuticular hydrocarbons of TW1 females have an inhibitory effect on courtship by Mel6 males. A candidate component, a C25 diene, was inferred from the gas chromatography analyses. The intensity of male refusal of TW1 females was variable among different strains of D. melanogaster, which suggested the presence of variation in sensitivity to different chemicals on the cuticle. Such variation could be a potential factor for the establishment of premating isolation under some conditions.


1988 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Trabalon ◽  
Mireille Campan ◽  
Jean-Luc Clément ◽  
Bernard Thon ◽  
Catherine Lange ◽  
...  

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