title: Molecular basis of wing coloration in a Batesian mimic butterfly, Papilio polytes.
abstract: Batesian mimicry protects animals from predators through resemblance with distasteful models in shape, color pattern, or behavior. To elucidate the wing coloration mechanisms involved in the mimicry, we investigated chemical composition and gene expression of the pale yellow and red pigments of a swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polytes, whose females mimic the unpalatable butterfly Pachliopta aristolochiae. Using LC/MS, we showed that the pale yellow wing regions in non-mimetic females consist of kynurenine and N-β-alanyldopamine (NBAD). Moreover, qRT-PCR showed that kynurenine/NBAD biosynthetic genes were upregulated in these regions in non-mimetic females. However, these pigments were absent in mimetic females. RNA-sequencing showed that kynurenine/NBAD synthesis and Toll signaling genes were upregulated in the red spots specific to mimetic female wings. These results demonstrated that drastic changes in gene networks in the red and pale yellow regions can switch wing color patterns between non-mimetic and mimetic females of P. polytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iga
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugano
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002080:Butterflies / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003116:Color; D004298:Dopamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D007737:Kynurenine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010858:Pigmentation; D011679:Pupa / Q000378:metabolism; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D007737:Kynurenine; C038990:N(beta)-alanyldopamine; D004298:Dopamine