Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Since several miRNAs are known to affect the stability or translation of developmental regulatory genes, the origin of novel miRNAs may have contributed to the evolution of developmental processes and morphology. Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) is a species-rich clade with a well-established phylogeny and abundant genomic resources, thereby representing an ideal system in which to study miRNA evolution. We sequenced small RNA libraries from developmental stages of two divergent lepidopterans, Cameraria ohridella (Horse chestnut Leafminer) and Pararge aegeria (Speckled Wood butterfly), discovering 90 and 81 conserved miRNAs respectively, and many species-specific miRNA sequences. Mapping miRNAs onto the lepidopteran phylogeny reveals rapid miRNA turnover and an episode of miRNA fixation early in lepidopteran evolution, implying that miRNA acquisition accompanied the early radiation of the Lepidoptera. One lepidopteran-specific miRNA gene, miR-2768, is located within an intron of the homeobox gene invected, involved in insect segmental and wing patterning. We identified cubitus interruptus (ci) as a likely direct target of miR-2768, and validated this suppression using a luciferase assay system. We propose a model by which miR-2768 modulates expression of ci in the segmentation pathway and in patterning of lepidopteran wing primordia. Examination of the small RNA complements pooled across life cycle stages in each of Cameraria ohridella and Pararge aegeria.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Since several miRNAs are known to affect the stability or translation of developmental regulatory genes, the origin of novel miRNAs may have contributed to the evolution of developmental processes and morphology. Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) is a species-rich clade with a well-established phylogeny and abundant genomic resources, thereby representing an ideal system in which to study miRNA evolution. We sequenced small RNA libraries from developmental stages of two divergent lepidopterans, Cameraria ohridella (Horse chestnut Leafminer) and Pararge aegeria (Speckled Wood butterfly), discovering 90 and 81 conserved miRNAs respectively, and many species-specific miRNA sequences. Mapping miRNAs onto the lepidopteran phylogeny reveals rapid miRNA turnover and an episode of miRNA fixation early in lepidopteran evolution, implying that miRNA acquisition accompanied the early radiation of the Lepidoptera. One lepidopteran-specific miRNA gene, miR-2768, is located within an intron of the homeobox gene invected, involved in insect segmental and wing patterning. We identified cubitus interruptus (ci) as a likely direct target of miR-2768, and validated this suppression using a luciferase assay system. We propose a model by which miR-2768 modulates expression of ci in the segmentation pathway and in patterning of lepidopteran wing primordia.
2014-11-26 | GSE63644 | GEO
Project description:Phylogenomics resolves major relationships of Catocala underwing moths
Project description:We characterized sperm from the seminal vesicles of male monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), in triplicate, identifying 548 high confidence proteins. As with all but the most basal lepidopteran species male monarch butterflies are sperm heteromorphic, producing fertilization competent and anucleate fertilization incompetent sperm morphs. Comparing this data to the sperm proteomes of the Carolina sphinx moth (Manduca sexta) and the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) demonstrated high levels of functional coherence across proteomes, and conservation at the level of protein abundance and post-translational modification within Lepidoptera. Comparative genomic analyses revealed a significant reduction in orthology among Monarch sperm genes relative to the remainder of the genome in non-Lepidopteran insects. A substantial number of sperm proteins were found to be specific to Lepidoptera, lacking detectable homology outside this taxa. These findings are consistent with a burst of genetic novelty in the sperm proteome concurrent with the origin of heteromorphic spermatogenesis early in Lepidoptera evolution.
2017-10-26 | PXD006454 | Pride
Project description:Phylogenomics provides strong evidence for the evolution of butterflies and moths
Project description:Molecular phylogenomics investigates evolutionary relationships based on genomic data. However, despite genomic sequence conservation, changes in protein interactions can occur relatively rapidly and may cause strong functional diversification. To investigate such functional evolution, we here combine phylogenomics with interaction proteomics. We develop this concept by investigating the molecular evolution of the shelterin complex, which protects telomeres, across 16 vertebrate species from zebrafish to humans covering 450 million years of evolution. Our phylointeractomics screen discovers previously unknown telomere-associated proteins and reveals how homologous proteins undergo functional evolution. For instance, we show that TERF1 evolved as a telomere-binding protein in the common stem lineage of marsupial and placental mammals. Phylointeractomics is a versatile and scalable approach to investigate evolutionary changes in protein function and thus can provide experimental evidence for phylogenomic relationships.
2017-02-15 | PXD005517 | Pride
Project description:Evolutionary history of butterflies and moths
| PRJNA522250 | ENA
Project description:Anchored hybrid enrichment in Lepidoptera: Leveraging genomic data for studies on the megadiverse butterflies and moths
Project description:Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) make the six-carbon compounds homoisopentenyl pyrophosphate (HIPP) and homodimethylallyl pyrophosphate (HDMAPP) that are incorporated into sixteen, seventeen and eighteen carbon farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) analogues. In this work we heterologously expressed the lepidopteran modified mevalonate pathway, a propionyl-CoA ligase, and terpene cyclases in E. coli to produce several novel terpenes containing sixteen carbons. Changing the terpene cyclase generated different novel terpene product profiles. To further validate the new compounds we confirmed 13C propionate was incorporated, and that the masses and fragmentation patterns were consistent with novel sixteen carbon terpenes by GC-QTOF. Based on the available FPP analogues lepidoptera produce, this approach should greatly expand the reachable biochemical space with applications in areas where terpenes have traditionally found uses.
2019-10-29 | PXD012697 | panorama
Project description:Phylogenomics reveals deep relationships and diversification within phylactolaemate bryozoans