title: Emergence and diversification of fly pigmentation through evolution of a gene regulatory module.
abstract: The typical pattern of morphological evolution associated with the radiation of a group of related species is the emergence of a novel trait and its subsequent diversification. Yet the genetic mechanisms associated with these two evolutionary steps are poorly characterized. Here, we show that a spot of dark pigment on fly wings emerged from the assembly of a novel gene regulatory module in which a set of pigmentation genes evolved to respond to a common transcriptional regulator determining their spatial distribution. The primitive wing spot pattern subsequently diversified through changes in the expression pattern of this regulator. These results suggest that the genetic changes underlying the emergence and diversification of wing pigmentation patterns are partitioned within genetic networks.
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, UMR 7288, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille-Luminy, 13288 Marseille cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arnoult
authors.forename: Kathy F Y
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Diogo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Manoel
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minervino
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Magriña
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gompel
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prud'homme
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004330:Drosophila / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D017344:Genes, Insect; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics*; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D011679:Pupa; D034622:RNA Interference; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D014157:Transcription Factors; C117261:distal-less protein, insect