TY - JOUR
T1 - A 11 desaturase gene genealogy reveals two divergent allelic classes within the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis)
AU - Geiler, Kerry A.
AU - Harrison, Richard G.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Erik Dopman and Steve Bogdanowicz for access to 38 moth DNA samples, and for assistance and advice with molecular techniques and data analysis. We thank John Wakeley for advice on tests of selection and coalescent simulations. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on the finished manuscript. This work was supported by a Cornell University Presidential Research scholarship to KG and by NSF grant DEB-0415343 to RGH.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Background. Moth pheromone mating systems have been characterized at the molecular level, allowing evolutionary biologists to study how changes in protein sequence or gene expression affect pheromone phenotype, patterns of mating, and ultimately, the formation of barriers to gene exchange. Recent studies of Ostrinia pheromones have focused on the diversity of sex pheromone desaturases and their role in the specificity of pheromone production. Here we produce a 11 desaturase genealogy within Ostrinia nubilalis. We ask what has been the history of this gene, and whether this history suggests that changes in 11 desaturase have been involved in the divergence of the E and Z O. nubilalis pheromone strains. Results. The 11 desaturase gene genealogy does not differentiate O. nubilalis pheromone strains. However, we find two distinct clades, separated by 2.9% sequence divergence, that do not sort with pheromone strain, geographic origin, or emergence time. We demonstrate that these clades do not represent gene duplicates, but rather allelic variation at a single gene locus. Conclusions. Analyses of patterns of variation at the 11 desaturase gene in ECB suggest that this enzyme does not contribute to reproductive isolation between pheromone strains (E and Z). However, our genealogy reveals two deeply divergent allelic classes. Standing variation at loci that contribute to mate choice phenotypes may permit novel pheromone mating systems to arise in the presence of strong stabilizing selection.
AB - Background. Moth pheromone mating systems have been characterized at the molecular level, allowing evolutionary biologists to study how changes in protein sequence or gene expression affect pheromone phenotype, patterns of mating, and ultimately, the formation of barriers to gene exchange. Recent studies of Ostrinia pheromones have focused on the diversity of sex pheromone desaturases and their role in the specificity of pheromone production. Here we produce a 11 desaturase genealogy within Ostrinia nubilalis. We ask what has been the history of this gene, and whether this history suggests that changes in 11 desaturase have been involved in the divergence of the E and Z O. nubilalis pheromone strains. Results. The 11 desaturase gene genealogy does not differentiate O. nubilalis pheromone strains. However, we find two distinct clades, separated by 2.9% sequence divergence, that do not sort with pheromone strain, geographic origin, or emergence time. We demonstrate that these clades do not represent gene duplicates, but rather allelic variation at a single gene locus. Conclusions. Analyses of patterns of variation at the 11 desaturase gene in ECB suggest that this enzyme does not contribute to reproductive isolation between pheromone strains (E and Z). However, our genealogy reveals two deeply divergent allelic classes. Standing variation at loci that contribute to mate choice phenotypes may permit novel pheromone mating systems to arise in the presence of strong stabilizing selection.
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U2 - 10.1186/1471-2148-10-112
DO - 10.1186/1471-2148-10-112
M3 - Article
C2 - 20423501
AN - SCOPUS:77951230490
SN - 1472-6785
VL - 10
JO - BMC Evolutionary Biology
JF - BMC Evolutionary Biology
IS - 1
M1 - 112
ER -