Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Evol Dev. 2020 Jul;22(4):336-341. doi: 10.1111/ede.12338.
Lepidopteran wing scales play important roles in a number of functions including color patterning and thermoregulation. Despite the importance of wing scales, however, we still have a limited understanding of the genetic mechanisms that underlie scale patterning, development, and coloration. Here, we explore the function of the phenoloxidase-encoding gene laccase2 in wing and scale development in the nymphalid butterfly Vanessa cardui. Somatic deletion mosaics of laccase2 generated by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing presented several distinct mutant phenotypes. Consistent with the work in other nonlepidopteran insect groups, we observed reductions in melanin pigmentation and defects in cuticle formation. We were also surprised, however, to see distinct effects on scale development including complete loss of wing scales. This study highlights laccase2 as a gene that plays multiple roles in wing and scale development and provides new insight into the evolution of lepidopteran wing coloration.
鳞翅目昆虫的翅膀鳞片在多种功能中发挥着重要作用，包括颜色图案和体温调节。然而，尽管翅膀鳞片非常重要，我们对于控制鳞片图案形成、发育和颜色的遗传机制仍然知之甚少。在这里，我们研究了漆酶 2 基因在蛱蝶 Vanessa cardui 幼虫翅膀和鳞片发育中的功能。利用 CRISPR/Cas9 基因组编辑生成的漆酶 2 基因体删除嵌合体表现出几种不同的突变表型。与其他非鳞翅目昆虫群的研究一致，我们观察到黑色素沉着减少和表皮形成缺陷。然而，我们也惊讶地发现鳞片发育有明显的影响，包括翅膀鳞片完全缺失。这项研究强调了漆酶 2 基因在翅膀和鳞片发育中发挥着多种作用，并为鳞翅目昆虫翅膀颜色的进化提供了新的见解。
