title: The transcription factor Apontic-like controls diverse colouration pattern in caterpillars.
abstract: Genetic polymorphisms underlie the convergent and divergent evolution of various phenotypes. Diverse colour patterns on caterpillars, which are ecologically important, are good models for understanding the molecular backgrounds of phenotypic diversity. Here we show that a single evolutionarily conserved gene apontic-like (apt-like) encoding for a putative transcription factor accounts for the silkworm p locus, which causes at least 15 different larval markings involved in branch-like markings and eye-spot formation. The expression of apt-like and melanin synthesis genes are upregulated in association with pigmented areas of marking mutants Striped (p(S)) and normal (+(p)) but not in the non-marking allele plain (p). Functional analyses, ectopic expression, RNAi and TALEN, demonstrate that apt-like causes melanin pigmentation in a cell-autonomous manner. These results suggest that variation in p alleles is caused by the differential expression of the gene apt-like which induces targeted elevation of gene expressions in the melanin synthesis pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Biosciences Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bioscience Building 501, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoda
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Biosciences Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bioscience Building 501, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan.
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: Invertebrate Gene Function Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 1-2, Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mita
authors.affiliation: Invertebrate Gene Function Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 1-2, Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan.
authors.forename: Kimiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Insect Genetic Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Banno
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Biosciences Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bioscience Building 501, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 1-2, Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Daimon
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Biosciences Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bioscience Building 501, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019521:Body Patterning; D012831:Bombyx / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003116:Color; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D005838:Genotype; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000378:metabolism; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D010858:Pigmentation; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D034622:RNA Interference; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D008543:Melanins; D014157:Transcription Factors