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Position-effect Variegation

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In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 11, 2025

Radio Frequency Identification and Motion-sensitive Video Efficiently Automate Recording of Unrewarded Choice Behavior by Bumblebees

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Published on: November 15, 2014

Similar Genetic Routes Are Independently Targeted for Mimetic Color Convergence in Bumble Bees.

Heather M Hines^1,2, Tunc Dabak¹, Sarthok Rasique Rahman^1,3,4

¹Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.

Molecular Biology and Evolution

|August 12, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Bumble bees independently evolved similar color patterns through changes in a key gene, Abdominal B (Abd-B). This Hox gene regulates pigment production, revealing a shared genetic pathway for mimicry evolution.

Keywords:

Evo-devo Hox convergence evolutionary genetics melanin ncRNA

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Genomics
Developmental biology

Background:

Bumble bees display diverse color patterns driven by Mullerian mimicry.
Convergent evolution allows species to acquire similar color polymorphisms.
Understanding the genetic basis of parallel evolution in mimicry is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the genetic mechanisms behind parallel color pattern evolution in North American bumble bees.
To identify genes and regulatory pathways responsible for shifts in abdominal coloration.
To explore how gene regulatory networks evolve during mimicry acquisition.

Main Methods:

Genome-wide association study to identify initial gene targets.
Cross-developmental transcriptomics to reveal genetic pathways.
Comparative analysis of three bumble bee taxon pairs with distinct mimicry regions.

Main Results:

All three lineages independently targeted the regulatory region of the Hox gene Abdominal B (Abd-B).
Different deletions in the same regulatory location were observed in two species.
A shared gene network involving Abd-B, nubbin, and ebony was identified, modulating melanin production.

Conclusions:

The Hox gene Abdominal B (Abd-B) is a key target for parallel evolution of color patterns in bumble bees.
Convergent evolution of mimicry involves the modification of a conserved gene regulatory network.
This study provides insights into the genetic underpinnings of phenotypic evolution and gene network dynamics.