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The origins of a novel butterfly wing patterning gene from within a family of conserved cell cycle regulators

Nicola J. Nadeau, Carolina Pardo-Diaz, Annabel Whibley, Megan Supple, Richard Wallbank, Grace C. Wu, Luana Maroja, Laura Ferguson, Heather Hines, Camilo Salazar, Richard ffrench-Constant, Mathieu Joron, W. Owen McMillan, Chris D. Jiggins
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/016006
Nicola J. Nadeau
1Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, UK;
2Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama;
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  • For correspondence: n.nadeau@sheffield.ac.uk c.jiggins@zoo.cam.ac.uk
Carolina Pardo-Diaz
3Biology Program, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Universidad del Rosario. Cra. 24 No 63C-69, Bogotá D.C., 111221, Colombia;
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Annabel Whibley
4CNRS UMR 7205, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Systématique et Evolution, 45 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France;
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Megan Supple
2Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama;
5The Australian National University, ACT, Australia;
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Richard Wallbank
6Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK;
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Grace C. Wu
7Energy and Resources Group, University of California at Berkeley, CA, USA;
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Luana Maroja
8Department of Biology, Williams College, MA, USA;
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Laura Ferguson
9Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK;
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Heather Hines
10North Carolina State University, NC, USA;
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Camilo Salazar
3Biology Program, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Universidad del Rosario. Cra. 24 No 63C-69, Bogotá D.C., 111221, Colombia;
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Richard ffrench-Constant
11School of Biosciences, University of Exeter in Cornwall, Penryn, UK TR10 9EZ
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Mathieu Joron
4CNRS UMR 7205, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Systématique et Evolution, 45 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France;
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W. Owen McMillan
2Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama;
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Chris D. Jiggins
2Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama;
6Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK;
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  • For correspondence: n.nadeau@sheffield.ac.uk c.jiggins@zoo.cam.ac.uk
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Abstract

A major challenge in evolutionary biology is to understand the origins of novel structures. The wing patterns of butterflies and moths are derived phenotypes unique to the Lepidoptera. Here we identify a gene that we name poikilomousa (poik), which regulates colour pattern switches in the mimetic Heliconius butterflies. Strong associations between phenotypic variation and DNA sequence variation are seen in three different Heliconius species, in addition to associations between gene expression and colour pattern. Colour pattern variants are also associated with differences in splicing of poik transcripts. poik is a member of the conserved fizzy family of cell cycle regulators. It belongs to a faster evolving subfamily, the closest functionally characterised orthologue being the cortex gene in Drosophila, a female germ-line specific protein involved in meiosis. poik appears to have adopted a novel function in the Lepidoptera and become a major target for natural selection acting on colour and pattern variation in this group.

  • Abbreviations

    He,
    Heliconius erato
    Hm,
    Heliconius melpomene
    Hn,
    Heliconius numata
    poik,
    poikilomousa
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    Posted March 05, 2015.
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    The origins of a novel butterfly wing patterning gene from within a family of conserved cell cycle regulators
    Nicola J. Nadeau, Carolina Pardo-Diaz, Annabel Whibley, Megan Supple, Richard Wallbank, Grace C. Wu, Luana Maroja, Laura Ferguson, Heather Hines, Camilo Salazar, Richard ffrench-Constant, Mathieu Joron, W. Owen McMillan, Chris D. Jiggins
    bioRxiv 016006; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/016006
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    The origins of a novel butterfly wing patterning gene from within a family of conserved cell cycle regulators
    Nicola J. Nadeau, Carolina Pardo-Diaz, Annabel Whibley, Megan Supple, Richard Wallbank, Grace C. Wu, Luana Maroja, Laura Ferguson, Heather Hines, Camilo Salazar, Richard ffrench-Constant, Mathieu Joron, W. Owen McMillan, Chris D. Jiggins
    bioRxiv 016006; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/016006

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