IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v10y2019i1d10.1038_s41467-019-13596-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A transposable element insertion is associated with an alternative life history strategy

Author

Listed:
  • Alyssa Woronik

    (Stockholm University
    New York University)

  • Kalle Tunström

    (Stockholm University)

  • Michael W. Perry

    (New York University
    University of California San Diego)

  • Ramprasad Neethiraj

    (Stockholm University)

  • Constanti Stefanescu

    (Museum of Natural Sciences of Granollers
    CREAF, Cerdanyola del Valles)

  • Maria de la Paz Celorio-Mancera

    (Stockholm University)

  • Oskar Brattström

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Jason Hill

    (Stockholm University
    Uppsala University)

  • Philipp Lehmann

    (Stockholm University)

  • Reijo Käkelä

    (University of Helsinki)

  • Christopher W. Wheat

    (Stockholm University)

Abstract

Tradeoffs affect resource allocation during development and result in fitness consequences that drive the evolution of life history strategies. Yet despite their importance, we know little about the mechanisms underlying life history tradeoffs. Many species of Colias butterflies exhibit an alternative life history strategy (ALHS) where females divert resources from wing pigment synthesis to reproductive and somatic development. Due to this reallocation, a wing color polymorphism is associated with the ALHS: either yellow/orange or white. Here we map the locus associated with this ALHS in Colias crocea to a transposable element insertion located downstream of the Colias homolog of BarH-1, a homeobox transcription factor. Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, antibody staining, and electron microscopy we find white-specific expression of BarH-1 suppresses the formation of pigment granules in wing scales and gives rise to white wing color. Lipid and transcriptome analyses reveal physiological differences associated with the ALHS. Together, these findings characterize a mechanism for a female-limited ALHS.

Suggested Citation

  • Alyssa Woronik & Kalle Tunström & Michael W. Perry & Ramprasad Neethiraj & Constanti Stefanescu & Maria de la Paz Celorio-Mancera & Oskar Brattström & Jason Hill & Philipp Lehmann & Reijo Käkelä & Chr, 2019. "A transposable element insertion is associated with an alternative life history strategy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-13596-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13596-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13596-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-019-13596-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-13596-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.