The regulation of a pigmentation gene in the formation of complex color patterns in Drosophila abdomens

Raja, Komal Kumar Bollepogu; Shittu, Mujeeb; Nouhan, Peter M. E.; Steenwinkel, Tessa E.; Bachman, Evan A.; Kokate, Prajakta; McQueeney, Alexander; Mundell, Elizabeth A.; Armentrout, Alexandri A.; Nugent, Amber; Werner, Thomas

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0279061

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 35 publications

(76 reference statements)

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“…In the perpendicular direction, we observed that there are exactly two alternations per abdomen segments. Many insect species including many flies possess a bicolor coloration in each abdomen segment 23 24 , one color on the anterior side, and the other on the posterior side. If we assume that this is also the case for Sarcophaga flies, this could explain the alternations perpendicular to the antero-posterior axis.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing rounds into squares or combining stripes: Diversity and formation of checkerboard patterns in Eukaryotes

Galipot,

Zalko

2024

Preprint

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Important in many human artistic cultures, checkerboard patterns are rare in nature like many motifs based on squared geometry. Nevertheless, they are expected to be very detectable by the visual networks due to their periodic geometry, and diverse plant and animal species bear them, suggesting specific biological functions. Here, thanks to a biological survey, we first draw the diversity of species bearing checkerboard patterns. Then, we selected two genera, Sarcophaga flies and Fritillaria flowers to perform simulations and functional studies to decipher the mechanisms producing these very peculiar patterns. Although they share a similar geometry, these two genera appear to produce checkered patterns through two very different ways, showing a convergence of shape but not of mechanism. Together, this shows the extent of the mechanisms selected during evolution to generate complex forms, and confirms the importance of describing color patterns through the species diversity

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing rounds into squares or combining stripes: Diversity and formation of checkerboard patterns in Eukaryotes

Galipot,

Zalko

2024

Preprint

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The Genetic Mechanisms Underlying the Concerted Expression of the yellow and tan Genes in Complex Patterns on the Abdomen and Wings of Drosophila guttifera

Raja

Bachman

Latuszek

et al. 2023

Genes

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How complex morphological patterns form is an intriguing question in developmental biology. However, the mechanisms that generate complex patterns remain largely unknown. Here, we sought to identify the genetic mechanisms that regulate the tan (t) gene in a multi-spotted pigmentation pattern on the abdomen and wings of Drosophila guttifera. Previously, we showed that yellow (y) gene expression completely prefigures the abdominal and wing pigment patterns of this species. In the current study, we demonstrate that the t gene is co-expressed with the y gene in nearly identical patterns, both transcripts foreshadowing the adult abdominal and wing melanin spot patterns. We identified cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) of t, one of which drives reporter expression in six longitudinal rows of spots on the developing pupal abdomen, while the second CRM activates the reporter gene in a spotted wing pattern. Comparing the abdominal spot CRMs of y and t, we found a similar composition of putative transcription factor binding sites that are thought to regulate the complex expression patterns of both terminal pigmentation genes y and t. In contrast, the y and t wing spots appear to be regulated by distinct upstream factors. Our results suggest that the D. guttifera abdominal and wing melanin spot patterns have been established through the co-regulation of y and t, shedding light on how complex morphological traits may be regulated through the parallel coordination of downstream target genes.

show abstract

The regulation of a pigmentation gene in the formation of complex color patterns in Drosophila abdomens

Cited by 2 publications

References 35 publications

Changing rounds into squares or combining stripes: Diversity and formation of checkerboard patterns in Eukaryotes

Changing rounds into squares or combining stripes: Diversity and formation of checkerboard patterns in Eukaryotes

The Genetic Mechanisms Underlying the Concerted Expression of the yellow and tan Genes in Complex Patterns on the Abdomen and Wings of Drosophila guttifera

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