title: Evolution of shape by multiple regulatory changes to a growth gene.
abstract: The genetic changes responsible for morphological differences between species are largely unidentified. Such changes can involve modifications of growth that are relevant to understanding evolution, development, and disease. We identified a gene that induces male-specific wing size and shape differences between Nasonia wasp species. Fine-scale mapping and in situ hybridization reveal that changes in at least three regions (two strictly in noncoding sequence) around the gene unpaired-like (upd-like) cause changes in spatial and temporal expression of upd-like in the developing wing and corresponding changes in wing width. Upd-like shows homology to the Drosophila unpaired gene, a well-studied signaling protein that regulates cell proliferation and differentiation. Our results indicate how multiple changes in the regulation of upd-like are involved in microevolution of morphological and sex-specific differences between species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA. loehlin@wisc.edu
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Loehlin
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Werren
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009929:Organ Size; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014863:Wasps / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C115570:upd1 protein, Drosophila