Date: June 15, 2016
Source: Cornell University
By tweaking just one or two
genes, Cornell University researchers have altered the patterns on a
butterfly's wings. It's not just a new art form, but a major clue to
understanding how the butterflies have evolved, and perhaps to how color
patterns -- and other patterns and shapes -- have evolved in other species.
By using the new method of CRISPR
genome editing, researchers cut out a gene known as spalt, and produced a
butterfly lacking the large round markings known as eyespots. In another
experiment, they removed a gene known as distal-less and produced more and
larger eyespots. The experiments also produced changes in other parts of the
wing design.
The distal-less gene in
particular revealed itself as a jack-of-all-trades gene that plays roles in
shaping several parts of the body. Deleting it not only caused the butterfly to
have extra eyespots, but to have shorter legs and antennae.
"People suspected these
genes had something to do with wing patterns but nobody had proved it,"
said Robert Reed, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.
"It probably takes dozens or hundreds of genes to make an eyespot, so it
was remarkable to find that only one or two genes are required to add or
subtract these complex patterns. It is a beautiful demonstration of how animals
are assembled as modules, much like a model kit." Reed and postdoctoral
researcher Linlin Zhang report their results in the TK issue of the journal Nature
Communications.
Butterfly wing patterns are of
special interest to evolutionary biologists because they provide an easily
accessible model of how natural selection chooses from many possible
variations. "Variation is the raw material of evolution," Reed said. CRISPR
genome editing technology offers great potential for understanding how this
variation originates he added.
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