由轉錄組分化與分子遺傳機制研究求偶行為中相輔相成的外部形態和行為之共同演化II

The co-options of multiple traits for certain biological function are frequently observed during the trait divergence and evolution of novelties. In this study, we investigated the novel diet and genetic correlation of two functionally-related traits, wing spot (as a morphological trait) and wing display (as a behavioral trait), in Drosophila elegans species subgroup by performing analyses of comparative genomics and comparative transcriptomics. After finished the assembly of D. gunungcola genome supported by the previous grant, we identified genes encoding odorant receptors (ORs) and ionotropic receptors (IRs), two main types of olfactory receptors influencing feeding and reproductive behavior, in D. elegans and D. gunungcola. Several OR and IR genes were lost in these two species, presumably associating to the evolution of flower-breeding behavior. Furthermore, we have acquired decent quality of 80 RNA-seq data from pupal wings and adult heads as suggested from our preliminary QC analysis. The sexual differences and interspecific differences in wing and head transcriptome are currently under investigation. We anticipate that the genetic mechanisms in divergence of wing spot development and sexual behavior will be revealed from our further analyses.