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Evolution and expression of BMP genes in flies
Karl R Wotton1, Anna Alcaine Colet, Johannes Jaeger
1EMBL/CRG Systems Biology Research Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
Development Genes and Evolution
|April 19, 2013
Summary
The screw (scw) gene, crucial for insect development, likely originated from a glass bottom boat (gbb) gene duplication event. This duplication occurred in flies after the split from Brachycera, but before the evolution of cyclorrhaphan flies.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Genetics
- Entomology
Background:
- Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are vital signaling molecules in embryonic development across diverse animal species.
- In Drosophila melanogaster, three BMP genes—decapentaplegic (dpp), glass bottom boat (gbb), and screw (scw)—regulate key developmental processes.
- The origin and evolutionary history of the scw gene, particularly its duplication from an ancestral gbb gene, remain areas of active research, with recent evidence suggesting its emergence within Diptera.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary origin of the scw gene by examining BMP gene complements and phylogenetics in the non-biting midge Clogmia albipunctata (Psychodidae).
- To precisely pinpoint the evolutionary timing of the gbb/scw gene duplication event within the Dipteran lineage.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatic analysis of genomic and transcriptomic data from Clogmia albipunctata to identify BMP subclass members.
- Phylogenetic analysis of identified dpp and gbb orthologues to infer evolutionary relationships.
- Comparative analysis of BMP gene presence and expression patterns across different insect groups.
Main Results:
- The BMP genes decapentaplegic (dpp) and glass bottom boat (gbb) were identified in Clogmia albipunctata, with distinct expression patterns compared to cyclorrhaphan flies.
- No evidence for a screw (scw) gene duplicate was found in C. albipunctata, suggesting scw is absent in Nematocera.
- Phylogenetic analyses indicate that C. albipunctata gbb branches ancestrally to the gbb/scw split observed in cyclorrhaphan flies.
Conclusions:
- The gbb/scw gene duplication event is estimated to have occurred between the divergence of Brachycera and the emergence of cyclorrhaphan flies, approximately 200-150 million years ago.
- The scw gene is likely absent in all Nematocera, supporting a more recent origin within the Brachycera lineage.
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