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Comparing Behavior and Clock Gene Expression between Caterpillars, Butterflies, and Moths.
Natalie Niepoth1,2, Gao Ke1, Jacobus C de Roode1,3
1*Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Journal of Biological Rhythms
|December 27, 2017
Summary
Insect circadian rhythms are not fully understood in larvae. This study compared clock gene expression in butterfly and moth larvae and adults, finding differences that may impact circadian behavior.
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Chronobiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Circadian behavior is common in insects, with adult butterflies typically active during the day and moths at night.
- Little is known about daily activity patterns and clock gene expression in insect larvae.
- Direct comparisons of clock gene expression between day- and night-active species in larval stages are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate daily rhythms of feeding and activity in caterpillar larvae.
- To analyze the gene expression of circadian clock genes period (per) and timeless (tim) in larvae and adults of a butterfly and a moth species.
- To compare circadian clock gene expression patterns between two life stages (larva and adult) and two species (butterfly and moth).
Main Methods:
- Characterized daily feeding and activity rhythms in Danaus plexippus (butterfly) and Heliothis virescens (moth) caterpillars.
- Quantified the gene expression of period (per) and timeless (tim) in larvae and adults of both species under controlled conditions.
- Performed direct comparisons of gene expression levels and oscillation phases across species and life stages.
Main Results:
- Neither butterfly nor moth caterpillars exhibited strictly diurnal or nocturnal activity patterns.
- Slight feeding and activity rhythms were observed in caterpillars, influenced by factors like temperature and host plant.
- Significant differences in per and tim gene expression were found between genes, life stages, and species, although both genes oscillated with similar phases over 24 hours.
Conclusions:
- Circadian clock gene expression patterns in insects show significant variation across species and life stages.
- Larval circadian behavior may be less rigid than in adults and can be modulated by environmental cues.
- These findings provide novel insights into the evolution of circadian rhythms in insects and suggest potential downstream effects on behavior.
Keywords:
Danaus plexippusHeliothis virescenscircadian oscillatorgene expressionlarval clocksperiodtimelessMore Related Videos
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