Molecular basis of wax-based color change and UV reflection in dragonflies
Many animals change their body color for visual signaling and environmental adaptation. Some dragonflies show wax-based color change and ultraviolet (UV) reflection, but the biochemical properties underlying the phenomena are totally unknown. Here we investigated the UV-reflective abdominal wax of d...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2019-01-01
|
| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/43045 |
| _version_ | 1811201296514940928 |
|---|---|
| author | Ryo Futahashi Yumi Yamahama Migaku Kawaguchi Naoki Mori Daisuke Ishii Genta Okude Yuji Hirai Ryouka Kawahara-Miki Kazutoshi Yoshitake Shunsuke Yajima Takahiko Hariyama Takema Fukatsu |
| author_facet | Ryo Futahashi Yumi Yamahama Migaku Kawaguchi Naoki Mori Daisuke Ishii Genta Okude Yuji Hirai Ryouka Kawahara-Miki Kazutoshi Yoshitake Shunsuke Yajima Takahiko Hariyama Takema Fukatsu |
| author_sort | Ryo Futahashi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many animals change their body color for visual signaling and environmental adaptation. Some dragonflies show wax-based color change and ultraviolet (UV) reflection, but the biochemical properties underlying the phenomena are totally unknown. Here we investigated the UV-reflective abdominal wax of dragonflies, thereby identifying very long-chain methyl ketones and aldehydes as unique and major wax components. Little wax was detected on young adults, but dense wax secretion was found mainly on the dorsal abdomen of mature males of Orthetrum albistylum and O. melania, and pruinose wax secretion was identified on the ventral abdomen of mature females of O. albistylum and Sympetrum darwinianum. Comparative transcriptomics demonstrated drastic upregulation of the ELOVL17 gene, a member of the fatty acid elongase gene family, whose expression reflected the distribution of very long-chain methyl ketones. Synthetic 2-pentacosanone, the major component of dragonfly’s wax, spontaneously formed light-scattering scale-like fine structures with strong UV reflection, suggesting its potential utility for biomimetics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:18:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-07f97ced5d3442b29c6673c54cbc317a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:18:33Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-07f97ced5d3442b29c6673c54cbc317a2022-12-22T03:52:10ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2019-01-01810.7554/eLife.43045Molecular basis of wax-based color change and UV reflection in dragonfliesRyo Futahashi0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4791-7054Yumi Yamahama1Migaku Kawaguchi2Naoki Mori3Daisuke Ishii4Genta Okude5Yuji Hirai6Ryouka Kawahara-Miki7Kazutoshi Yoshitake8Shunsuke Yajima9Takahiko Hariyama10Takema Fukatsu11Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, JapanDepartment of Biology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, JapanNational Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, JapanDivision of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanDepartment of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, JapanBioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, JapanApplied Chemistry and Bioscience, Chitose Institute of Science and Technology, Chitose, JapanNODAI Genome Research Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, JapanLaboratory of Aquatic Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, JapanNODAI Genome Research Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, JapanDepartment of Biology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, JapanDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, JapanMany animals change their body color for visual signaling and environmental adaptation. Some dragonflies show wax-based color change and ultraviolet (UV) reflection, but the biochemical properties underlying the phenomena are totally unknown. Here we investigated the UV-reflective abdominal wax of dragonflies, thereby identifying very long-chain methyl ketones and aldehydes as unique and major wax components. Little wax was detected on young adults, but dense wax secretion was found mainly on the dorsal abdomen of mature males of Orthetrum albistylum and O. melania, and pruinose wax secretion was identified on the ventral abdomen of mature females of O. albistylum and Sympetrum darwinianum. Comparative transcriptomics demonstrated drastic upregulation of the ELOVL17 gene, a member of the fatty acid elongase gene family, whose expression reflected the distribution of very long-chain methyl ketones. Synthetic 2-pentacosanone, the major component of dragonfly’s wax, spontaneously formed light-scattering scale-like fine structures with strong UV reflection, suggesting its potential utility for biomimetics.https://elifesciences.org/articles/43045Orthetrum albistylumOrthetrum melaniaSympetrum darwinianumdragonflyUV reflectionwax |
| spellingShingle | Ryo Futahashi Yumi Yamahama Migaku Kawaguchi Naoki Mori Daisuke Ishii Genta Okude Yuji Hirai Ryouka Kawahara-Miki Kazutoshi Yoshitake Shunsuke Yajima Takahiko Hariyama Takema Fukatsu Molecular basis of wax-based color change and UV reflection in dragonflies eLife Orthetrum albistylum Orthetrum melania Sympetrum darwinianum dragonfly UV reflection wax |
| title | Molecular basis of wax-based color change and UV reflection in dragonflies |
| title_full | Molecular basis of wax-based color change and UV reflection in dragonflies |
| title_fullStr | Molecular basis of wax-based color change and UV reflection in dragonflies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular basis of wax-based color change and UV reflection in dragonflies |
| title_short | Molecular basis of wax-based color change and UV reflection in dragonflies |
| title_sort | molecular basis of wax based color change and uv reflection in dragonflies |
| topic | Orthetrum albistylum Orthetrum melania Sympetrum darwinianum dragonfly UV reflection wax |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/43045 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ryofutahashi molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies AT yumiyamahama molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies AT migakukawaguchi molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies AT naokimori molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies AT daisukeishii molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies AT gentaokude molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies AT yujihirai molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies AT ryoukakawaharamiki molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies AT kazutoshiyoshitake molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies AT shunsukeyajima molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies AT takahikohariyama molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies AT takemafukatsu molecularbasisofwaxbasedcolorchangeanduvreflectionindragonflies |