Baudach Arne, Vilcinskas Andreas
Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
Insects. 2021 Apr 6;12(4):325. doi: 10.3390/insects12040325.
The European map butterfly is a well-known example of seasonal polyphenism. Spring and summer imagoes exhibit distinct morphological phenotypes. Key environmental factors responsible for the expression of different morphs are day length and temperature. Larval exposure to light for more than 16 h per day entails direct development and results in the adult f. summer phenotype. Less than 15.5 h per day increasingly promotes diapause and the adult f. spring phenotype. The phenotype depends on the timing of the release of 20-hydroxyecdysone in pupae. Release within the first days after pupation potentially inhibits the default "-gene-expression-profile" because pre-pupae destined for diapause or subitaneous development have unique transcriptomic programs. Moreover, multiple microRNAs and their targets are differentially regulated during the larval and pupal stages, and candidates for diapause maintenance, duration, and phenotype determination have been identified. However, the complete pathway from photoreception to timekeeping and diapause or subitaneous development remains unclear. Beside the wing polyphenism, the hormonal and epigenetic modifications of the two phenotypes also include differences in biomechanical design and immunocompetence. Here, we discuss research on the physiological and molecular basis of polyphenism in , including hormonal control, epigenetic regulation, and the effect of ecological parameters on developmental fate.
欧洲地图蝶是季节性多型现象的一个著名例子。春季和夏季的成虫表现出明显的形态表型。导致不同形态表达的关键环境因素是日照长度和温度。幼虫每天暴露在光照下超过16小时会导致直接发育，并产生成年夏型表型。每天少于15.5小时则越来越多地促进滞育和成年春型表型。表型取决于蛹中20-羟基蜕皮酮的释放时间。化蛹后最初几天内的释放可能会抑制默认的“-基因表达谱”，因为注定进入滞育或即时发育的预蛹具有独特的转录组程序。此外，多种微小RNA及其靶标在幼虫和蛹阶段受到不同调节，并且已经确定了滞育维持、持续时间和表型决定的候选者。然而，从光感受器到计时以及滞育或即时发育的完整途径仍不清楚。除了翅多型现象外，两种表型的激素和表观遗传修饰还包括生物力学设计和免疫能力的差异。在这里，我们讨论关于欧洲地图蝶多型现象的生理和分子基础的研究，包括激素控制、表观遗传调控以及生态参数对发育命运的影响。
