Ding Xin, Zheng Lu, Liu Junxia, Chen Kun, Han Minjin, Hu Hai, Tang Yuxia, Tong Xiaoling, Dai Fangyin
State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yibin Academy of Southwest University, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Insect Sci. 2025 Jul 28. doi: 10.1111/1744-7917.70140.
Insect pigmentation patterns are critical for ecological adaptation and serve as an excellent model for studying the genetic basis of phenotypic diversity. The Wnt family is a conserved group of genes that play crucial roles in various biological processes across species. While Wnt1 and WntA have been extensively characterized for their roles in insect coloration, particularly in Drosophila and butterflies, the functions of other Wnt family members, such as Wnt6 and Wnt10, remain poorly understood. These genes originated from a common ancestor with Wnt1 and are arranged in tandem with it in the genome. In this study, we investigated the roles of Wnt6 and Wnt10 in spot formation in silkworm larvae using 3 spot-marking mutants with similar phenotypes. Through gene expression analysis, RNA interference, and overexpression studies, we discovered that Wnt1, Wnt6, and Wnt10 each regulate spot formation via the Armadillo-dependent canonical Wnt pathway. This highlights their distinct and nonredundant functional attributes despite their common origin and genomic arrangement. Additionally, we identified a uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase (UDP-glycosyltransferase) gene contributes to caterpillar pigmentation related to the canonical Wnt pathway. Our findings underscore the complexity and conservation of the Wnt signaling pathway in insect coloration.
昆虫色素沉着模式对于生态适应至关重要，并且是研究表型多样性遗传基础的优秀模型。Wnt家族是一组保守的基因，在跨物种的各种生物过程中发挥关键作用。虽然Wnt1和WntA在昆虫着色中的作用，特别是在果蝇和蝴蝶中，已经得到了广泛的研究，但其他Wnt家族成员，如Wnt6和Wnt10的功能仍然知之甚少。这些基因与Wnt1起源于共同的祖先，并在基因组中与其串联排列。在本研究中，我们使用3个具有相似表型的斑点标记突变体，研究了Wnt6和Wnt10在家蚕幼虫斑点形成中的作用。通过基因表达分析、RNA干扰和过表达研究，我们发现Wnt1、Wnt6和Wnt10各自通过依赖犰狳的经典Wnt途径调节斑点形成。这突出了它们尽管起源相同且基因组排列相似，但具有独特且非冗余的功能属性。此外，我们鉴定出一个尿苷二磷酸糖基转移酶（UDP - 糖基转移酶）基因，它与经典Wnt途径相关，有助于毛虫的色素沉着。我们的研究结果强调了Wnt信号通路在昆虫着色中的复杂性和保守性。
