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Histone deacetylases control module-specific phenotypic plasticity in beetle weapons.

Takane Ozawa1, Tomoko Mizuhara1, Masataka Arata2

  • 1Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|December 14, 2016
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Summary

Nutrition impacts how exaggerated traits develop. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) and polycomb group (PcG) proteins specifically control mandible size in beetles, showing nutrition-dependent variability.

Keywords:
Gnatocerus cornutusHDACexaggerated male weaponphenotypic plasticitysexual dimorphism

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Epigenetics
  • Evolutionary biology

Background:

  • Early nutrition influences adult traits, particularly exaggerated, sexually selected features.
  • Exaggerated traits show distinct nutrition sensitivity, positive allometry, and hypervariability compared to other body modules.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the role of epigenetic factors, specifically histone deacetylases (HDACs) and polycomb group (PcG) proteins, in controlling nutrition-dependent plasticity of exaggerated traits.
  • Determine if these epigenetic factors affect specific body modules differentially.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized de novo RNA sequencing to identify relevant genes.
  • Employed comprehensive RNA interference (RNAi) to knockdown epigenetic modifying factors (HDACs and PcGs) in Gnatocerus cornutus larvae.
  • Assessed the impact of RNAi on adult mandible, wing, core body, and genital module sizes.

Main Results:

  • Histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) knockdown specifically curtailed adult mandible size.
  • Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) knockdown led to mandible hypertrophy.
  • These knockdowns had opposite effects on wing size but minimal impact on core body and genital modules.
  • Polycomb group (PcG) RNAi also reduced adult mandible size.

Conclusions:

  • HDACs and PcG proteins play a crucial, module-specific role in the plastic development of exaggerated traits like mandibles.
  • The development of exaggerated traits is controlled in a module-specific manner by HDACs, responding to nutritional conditions.