Genome editing of the vermilion locus generates a visible eye color marker for Oncopeltus fasciatus
Abstract Insects display a vast array of eye and body colors. Genes encoding products involved in biosynthesis and deposition of pigments are ideal genetic markers, contributing, for example, to the power of Drosophila genetics. Oncopeltus fasciatus is an emerging model for hemimetabolous insects, a...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-03-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31145-2 |
| _version_ | 1797864986056327168 |
|---|---|
| author | Katie Reding Minh Lê Leslie Pick |
| author_facet | Katie Reding Minh Lê Leslie Pick |
| author_sort | Katie Reding |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Insects display a vast array of eye and body colors. Genes encoding products involved in biosynthesis and deposition of pigments are ideal genetic markers, contributing, for example, to the power of Drosophila genetics. Oncopeltus fasciatus is an emerging model for hemimetabolous insects, a member of the piercing-sucking feeding order Hemiptera, that includes pests and disease vectors. To identify candidate visible markers for O. fasciatus, we used parental and nymphal RNAi to identify genes that altered eye or body color while having no deleterious effects on viability. We selected Of-vermilion for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, generating three independent loss-of-function mutant lines. These studies mapped Of-vermilion to the X-chromosome, the first assignment of a gene to a chromosome in this species. Of-vermilion homozygotes have bright red, rather than black, eyes and are fully viable and fertile. We used these mutants to verify a role for Of-xdh1, ortholog of Drosophila rosy, in contributing to red pigmentation using RNAi. Rather than wild-type-like red bodies, bugs lacking both vermilion and xdh1 have bright yellow bodies, suggesting that ommochromes and pteridines contribute to O. fasciatus body color. Our studies generated the first gene-based visible marker for O. fasciatus and expanded the genetic toolkit for this model system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:00:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-64a29ca5895a49e1a49d7b9f1d3b0be5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:00:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-64a29ca5895a49e1a49d7b9f1d3b0be52023-03-22T10:58:52ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-03-0113111410.1038/s41598-023-31145-2Genome editing of the vermilion locus generates a visible eye color marker for Oncopeltus fasciatusKatie Reding0Minh Lê1Leslie Pick2Department of Entomology, University of MarylandDepartment of Entomology, University of MarylandDepartment of Entomology, University of MarylandAbstract Insects display a vast array of eye and body colors. Genes encoding products involved in biosynthesis and deposition of pigments are ideal genetic markers, contributing, for example, to the power of Drosophila genetics. Oncopeltus fasciatus is an emerging model for hemimetabolous insects, a member of the piercing-sucking feeding order Hemiptera, that includes pests and disease vectors. To identify candidate visible markers for O. fasciatus, we used parental and nymphal RNAi to identify genes that altered eye or body color while having no deleterious effects on viability. We selected Of-vermilion for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, generating three independent loss-of-function mutant lines. These studies mapped Of-vermilion to the X-chromosome, the first assignment of a gene to a chromosome in this species. Of-vermilion homozygotes have bright red, rather than black, eyes and are fully viable and fertile. We used these mutants to verify a role for Of-xdh1, ortholog of Drosophila rosy, in contributing to red pigmentation using RNAi. Rather than wild-type-like red bodies, bugs lacking both vermilion and xdh1 have bright yellow bodies, suggesting that ommochromes and pteridines contribute to O. fasciatus body color. Our studies generated the first gene-based visible marker for O. fasciatus and expanded the genetic toolkit for this model system.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31145-2 |
| spellingShingle | Katie Reding Minh Lê Leslie Pick Genome editing of the vermilion locus generates a visible eye color marker for Oncopeltus fasciatus Scientific Reports |
| title | Genome editing of the vermilion locus generates a visible eye color marker for Oncopeltus fasciatus |
| title_full | Genome editing of the vermilion locus generates a visible eye color marker for Oncopeltus fasciatus |
| title_fullStr | Genome editing of the vermilion locus generates a visible eye color marker for Oncopeltus fasciatus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genome editing of the vermilion locus generates a visible eye color marker for Oncopeltus fasciatus |
| title_short | Genome editing of the vermilion locus generates a visible eye color marker for Oncopeltus fasciatus |
| title_sort | genome editing of the vermilion locus generates a visible eye color marker for oncopeltus fasciatus |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31145-2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT katiereding genomeeditingofthevermilionlocusgeneratesavisibleeyecolormarkerforoncopeltusfasciatus AT minhle genomeeditingofthevermilionlocusgeneratesavisibleeyecolormarkerforoncopeltusfasciatus AT lesliepick genomeeditingofthevermilionlocusgeneratesavisibleeyecolormarkerforoncopeltusfasciatus |