Diversification of complex butterfly wing patterns by repeated regulatory evolution of a Wnt ligand.
Although animals display a rich variety of shapes and patterns, the genetic changes that explain how complex forms arise are still unclear. Here we take advantage of the extensive diversity of Heliconius butterflies to identify a gene that causes adaptive variation of black wing patterns within and between species. Linkage mapping in two species groups, gene-expression analysis in seven species, and pharmacological treatments all indicate that cis-regulatory evolution of the WntA ligand underpins discrete changes in color pattern features across the Heliconius genus. These results illustrate how the direct modulation of morphogen sources can generate a wide array of unique morphologies, thus providing a link between natural genetic variation, pattern formation, and adaptation.
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. heliconiuswing@gmail.com
Arnaud
A
Martin
Riccardo
R
Papa
Nicola J
NJ
Nadeau
Ryan I
RI
Hill
Brian A
BA
Counterman
Georg
G
Halder
Chris D
CD
Jiggins
Marcus R
MR
Kronforst
Anthony D
AD
Long
W Owen
WO
McMillan
Robert D
RD
Reed
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002080:Butterflies / Q000502:physiology*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D017344:Genes, Insect / Q000502:physiology; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D014644:Genetic Variation; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000502:physiology*; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D019476:Insect Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins