Molecular mechanisms and evolutionary processes of mimicry pattern formation in insects

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Genetic bases for the evolution of complex adaptive traits
• Project/Area Number: 22128005
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Fujiwara Haruhiko 東京大学, 新領域創成科学研究科, 教授 (40183933)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HORI Hiroshi 名古屋大学, 遺伝子実験施設, 名誉教授 (60116663)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 擬態 / 紋様形成 / シロオビアゲハ / カイコ変異体 / ベイツ型擬態 / ゲノム解析 / 幼虫斑紋 / 蛹保護色

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we focus four mimicry systems in Lepidoptera, and clarified their responsible genes, regulation mechanisms, and evolutionary processes. Females of Papilio polytes mimics unpalatable butterfly P. aristolochiae. We found with linkage analysis and whole genome sequencing that this female-limited Batesian mimicry is caused by about 130kb autosomal region including doublesex, and that this region constitutes supergene structure and is produced and fixed by chromosomal inversion. In addition, we here revealed the responsible gene for larval pigmentation mutants of B. mori, pS and ms, respectively and that the Wnt signaling pathway regulates the larval spot pattern formation in Lepidoptera. We also clarified the molecular backgrounds underlying the larval pattern switch by juvenile hormone and the switch of pupal protective colors in response to larval environment in Papilio species.

Free Research Field

分子生物学