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Butterfly wing pattern evolution is associated with changes in a Notch/Distal-less temporal pattern formation

Robert D Reed1, Michael S Serfas

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA. reed@duke.edu

Current Biology : CB
|July 10, 2004
PubMed
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Notch (N) upregulation and Distal-less (Dll) activation are key early events in butterfly wing pattern development, including eyespots and intervein midlines. These molecular pathways reveal how wing patterns evolved through changes in a conserved sequence.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Evolutionary genetics
  • Insect morphology

Background:

  • Butterflies exhibit diverse "intervein" wing patterns like eyespots and midlines, hypothesized to arise from developmental shifts.
  • Previous models suggested a continuum from midline to eyespot patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of butterfly eyespot and intervein midline patterns.
  • To determine the role of Notch (N) and Distal-less (Dll) in the evolution of these wing patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative gene expression analysis across multiple butterfly and moth species.
  • Examination of N and Dll expression in wild-type and mutant butterfly wings.
  • Phylogenetic analysis of expression patterns.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Notch (N) upregulation followed by Distal-less (Dll) activation is an early developmental event for both eyespot and intervein midline patterns.
  • Reduced N and Dll expression correlates with the loss of eyespots in a specific mutant.
  • Intervein N and Dll patterns appear to be a derived trait within the butterfly lineage.
  • Transient N and Dll expression precedes eyespot formation, resembling ancestral midline patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Notch upregulation is the earliest identified event in eyespot determination.
  • Gene expression patterns provide molecular evidence for the evolution of wing patterns through modification of a conserved midline-to-eyespot sequence.