The Cricket Gryllus bimaculatus: Techniques for Quantitative and Functional Genetic Analyses of Cricket Biology

Kulkarni, Arpita; Extavour, Cassandra G.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-23459-1_8

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 147 publications

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“…We note that Xu and Shaw (2019) hypothesized that song production in crickets is likely to be regulated by ion channels, and that locomotion, neural modulation, and muscle development are all involved in singing (Xu & Shaw, 2019). However, further experiments, which could take advantage of the existing RNAi and genome modification protocols for G. bimaculatus (Kulkarni & Extavour, 2019), will be required to test this hypothesis.…”

Section: Pickpocket Gene Expansionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…bimaculatus has been widely used as a laboratory research model for decades, in scientific fields including neurobiology and neuroethology (Fisher et al, 2018;Huber, Moore, & Loher, 1989), evo-devo (Kainz, Ewen-Campen, Akam, & Extavour, 2011), developmental biology (Donoughe & Extavour, 2015), and regeneration (Mito & Noji, 2008). Technical advantages of this cricket species as a research model include the fact that G. bimaculatus does not require cold temperatures or diapause to complete its life cycle, it is easy to rear in laboratories since it can be fed with generic insect or other pet foods, it is amenable to RNA interference (RNAi) and targeted genome editing (Kulkarni & Extavour, 2019), stable germline transgenic lines can be established (Shinmyo et al, 2004), and it has an extensive list of available experimental protocols ranging from behavioral to functional genetic analyses (Wilson Horch, Mito, Popadić, Ohuchi, & Noji, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Insights into the genomic evolution of insects from cricket genomes

Ylla

Nakamura

Itoh

et al. 2020

Preprint

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AbstractCrickets are currently in focus as a possible source of animal protein for human consumption as an alternative to protein from vertebrate livestock. This practice could ease some of the challenges both of a worldwide growing population and of environmental issues. The two-spotted Mediterranean field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus has traditionally been consumed by humans in different parts of the world. Not only is this considered generally safe for human consumption, several studies also suggest that introducing crickets into one’s diet may confer multiple health benefits. Moreover, G. bimaculatus has been widely used as a laboratory research model for decades in multiple scientific fields including evolution, developmental biology, neurobiology, and regeneration. Here we report the sequencing, assembly and annotation of the G. bimaculatus genome, and the annotation of the genome of the Hawaiian cricket Laupala kohalensis. The comparison of these two cricket genomes with those of 14 additional insects supports the hypothesis that a relatively small ancestral insect genome expanded to large sizes in many hemimetabolous lineages due to transposable element activity. Based on the ratio of observed versus expected CpG sites (CpGo/e), we find higher conservation and stronger purifying selection of typically methylated genes than of non-methylated genes. Finally, our gene family expansion analysis reveals an expansion of the pickpocket class V gene family in the lineage leading to crickets, which we speculate might play a relevant role in cricket courtship behavior, including their characteristic chirping.

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Section: Pickpocket Gene Expansionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the genomic evolution of insects from cricket genomes

Ylla

Nakamura

Itoh

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…Gryllus is a hemimetabolous insect, and thus in an outgroup order to the Holometabola (Misof et al, 2014). The two-spotted cricket G. bimaculatus in particular has emerged as a significant insect model in biology, including for genetics, neuroscience and germ line establishment and development (Kulkarni & Extavour, 2019). In fact, many of the developmental mechanisms of G. bimaculatus appear more typical of arthropods than the widely studied, and relatively derived, model Drosophila melanogaster (Mito & Noji, 2008, Donoughe & Extavour, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary dynamics of sex-biased genes expressed in cricket brains and gonads

Whittle

Kulkarni

Extavour

2020

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AbstractBackgroundSex-biased gene expression, particularly male-biased expression in the gonad, has often been linked to rapid protein sequence evolution (dN/dS) in animals. This evolutionary trend may arise from one or both of sexual selection pressures during mating or low pleiotropy. In insects, research on sex-biased transcription and dN/dS remains largely focused on a few holometabolous species, with variable findings on male and female gonadal effects. The brain is central to the mating process, and provides neurological foundation for mating behaviors, such as courtship, intrasex competition and mate choice. However, there is a striking paucity of research on sex-biased expression of genes in the brain and the rate of protein sequence evolution in such genes.ResultsHere, we studied sex-biased gene expression in a hemimetabolous insect, the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. We generated novel RNA-seq data for two sexual tissue types, the gonad and somatic reproductive system, and for two core components of the nervous system, the brain and ventral nerve cord. From a genome-wide analysis of genes expressed in these tissues, we report the accelerated evolution of testis-biased genes and seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) genes, as compared to ovary-biased and unbiased genes in this cricket model, which includes an elevated frequency of positive selection events. With respect to the brain, while sex-biased brain genes were much less common than for the gonads, they exhibited exceptionally rapid evolution, an effect that was stronger for the female than for the male brain. Certain sex-biased brain genes were predicted to be involved in mating or sex-related functions, which we suggest may cause exposure to sexual selection. Moreover, the sex-biased brain genes exhibited remarkably low cross-tissue expression breadth, or pleiotropy. We speculate that this feature may permit relaxed purifying selection, and allow the freedom for adaptive protein functional changes in these brain-expressed genes.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that sex-biased expression in the male gonad, and sex-biased gene expression in the brain, especially the female brain, are associated with rapid protein sequence evolution in a cricket model system. We discuss the results with respect to our findings on pleiotropy and positive selection, and consider the potential role of the dynamic mating biology of this cricket model in shaping these patterns.

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“…Crickets (Orthoptera, Grylloidea) are the other large group of Orthoptera, with approximately 6000 species (Cigliano et al, 2020). Crickets are studied as models in ethology, neurobiology, physiology, and bioacoustics (Gerhardt & Huber, 2002; Kulkarni & Extavour, 2019) but receive less focus in ecology. Most ecological studies assessing restoration or habitat management using Orthoptera assemblages have not separated grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%