Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012.
McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8816.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Feb 16;118(7). doi: 10.1073/pnas.2018965118.
We assembled a complete reference genome of , an aposematic cycad-eating hairstreak butterfly that suffered near extinction in the United States in the last century. Based on an analysis of genomic sequences of and 19 representative genera, the closest relatives of are and We report natural history information for , , and Using genomic sequences for each species of , , and (and three outgroups), we trace the evolution of cycad feeding, coloration, gregarious behavior, and other traits. The switch to feeding on cycads and to conspicuous coloration was accompanied by little genomic change. oon after its origin, split into two fast evolving lineages, instead of forming a clump of close relatives in the phylogenetic tree. Significant overlap of the fast evolving proteins in both clades indicates parallel evolution. The functions of the fast evolving proteins suggest that the caterpillars developed tolerance to cycad toxins with a range of mechanisms including autophagy of damaged cells, removal of cell debris by macrophages, and more active cell proliferation.
我们组装了一种有剧毒的吃苏铁的凤蝶（ hairstreak butterfly ）的完整参考基因组，这种蝴蝶在上世纪在美国几近灭绝。通过对 和 19 个代表性属的基因组序列分析， 与 和 最为接近。我们报告了 的自然历史信息， 和 。利用每个物种的基因组序列（ 和三个外群），我们追溯了食苏铁、颜色鲜艳、群居等特征的进化。从以苏铁为食到颜色鲜艳的转变几乎没有引起基因组的变化。在起源后不久， 就分裂成两个快速进化的谱系，而不是在系统发育树上形成一簇近亲。两个进化枝中快速进化蛋白的显著重叠表明了平行进化。快速进化蛋白的功能表明，毛毛虫通过一系列机制发展出对苏铁毒素的耐受性，包括受损细胞的自噬、巨噬细胞清除细胞碎片以及更活跃的细胞增殖。
