Transcriptomic and functional screening of weapon formation genes implies significance of cell adhesion molecules and female-biased genes in broad-horned flour beetle.
For understanding the evolutionary mechanism of sexually selected exaggerated traits, it is essential to uncover its molecular basis. By using broad-horned flour beetle that has male-specific exaggerated structures (mandibular horn, head horn and gena enlargement), we investigated the transcriptomic...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2023-12-01
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| Series: | PLoS Genetics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011069 |
| _version_ | 1797377787116388352 |
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| author | Miyu Sugiyama Takane Ozawa Kunihiro Ohta Kensuke Okada Teruyuki Niimi Katsushi Yamaguchi Shuji Shigenobu Yasukazu Okada |
| author_facet | Miyu Sugiyama Takane Ozawa Kunihiro Ohta Kensuke Okada Teruyuki Niimi Katsushi Yamaguchi Shuji Shigenobu Yasukazu Okada |
| author_sort | Miyu Sugiyama |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For understanding the evolutionary mechanism of sexually selected exaggerated traits, it is essential to uncover its molecular basis. By using broad-horned flour beetle that has male-specific exaggerated structures (mandibular horn, head horn and gena enlargement), we investigated the transcriptomic and functional characters of sex-biased genes. Comparative transcriptome of male vs. female prepupal heads elucidated 673 sex-biased genes. Counter-intuitively, majority of them were female-biased (584 genes), and GO enrichment analysis showed cell-adhesion molecules were frequently female-biased. This pattern motivated us to hypothesize that female-biased transcripts (i.e. the transcripts diminished in males) may play a role in outgrowth formation. Potentially, female-biased genes may act as suppressors of weapon structure. In order to test the functionality of female-biased genes, we performed RNAi-mediated functional screening for top 20 female-biased genes and 3 genes in the most enriched GO term (cell-cell adhesion, fat1/2/3, fat4 and dachsous). Knockdown of one transcription factor, zinc finger protein 608 (zfp608) resulted in the formation of male-like gena in females, supporting the outgrowth suppression function of this gene. Similarly, knockdown of fat4 induced rudimental, abnormal mandibular horn in female. fat1/2/3RNAi, fat4RNAi and dachsousRNAi males exhibited thick and/or short mandibular horns and legs. These cell adhesion molecules are known to regulate tissue growth direction and known to be involved in the weapon formation in Scarabaeoidea beetles. Functional evidence in phylogenetically distant broad-horned flour beetle suggest that cell adhesion genes are repeatedly deployed in the acquisition of outgrowth. In conclusion, this study clarified the overlooked functions of female-biased genes in weapon development. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:57:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b584bb25866a43a8963df6c67a716193 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1553-7390 1553-7404 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:57:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Genetics |
| spelling | doaj.art-b584bb25866a43a8963df6c67a7161932023-12-24T05:33:05ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Genetics1553-73901553-74042023-12-011912e101106910.1371/journal.pgen.1011069Transcriptomic and functional screening of weapon formation genes implies significance of cell adhesion molecules and female-biased genes in broad-horned flour beetle.Miyu SugiyamaTakane OzawaKunihiro OhtaKensuke OkadaTeruyuki NiimiKatsushi YamaguchiShuji ShigenobuYasukazu OkadaFor understanding the evolutionary mechanism of sexually selected exaggerated traits, it is essential to uncover its molecular basis. By using broad-horned flour beetle that has male-specific exaggerated structures (mandibular horn, head horn and gena enlargement), we investigated the transcriptomic and functional characters of sex-biased genes. Comparative transcriptome of male vs. female prepupal heads elucidated 673 sex-biased genes. Counter-intuitively, majority of them were female-biased (584 genes), and GO enrichment analysis showed cell-adhesion molecules were frequently female-biased. This pattern motivated us to hypothesize that female-biased transcripts (i.e. the transcripts diminished in males) may play a role in outgrowth formation. Potentially, female-biased genes may act as suppressors of weapon structure. In order to test the functionality of female-biased genes, we performed RNAi-mediated functional screening for top 20 female-biased genes and 3 genes in the most enriched GO term (cell-cell adhesion, fat1/2/3, fat4 and dachsous). Knockdown of one transcription factor, zinc finger protein 608 (zfp608) resulted in the formation of male-like gena in females, supporting the outgrowth suppression function of this gene. Similarly, knockdown of fat4 induced rudimental, abnormal mandibular horn in female. fat1/2/3RNAi, fat4RNAi and dachsousRNAi males exhibited thick and/or short mandibular horns and legs. These cell adhesion molecules are known to regulate tissue growth direction and known to be involved in the weapon formation in Scarabaeoidea beetles. Functional evidence in phylogenetically distant broad-horned flour beetle suggest that cell adhesion genes are repeatedly deployed in the acquisition of outgrowth. In conclusion, this study clarified the overlooked functions of female-biased genes in weapon development.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011069 |
| spellingShingle | Miyu Sugiyama Takane Ozawa Kunihiro Ohta Kensuke Okada Teruyuki Niimi Katsushi Yamaguchi Shuji Shigenobu Yasukazu Okada Transcriptomic and functional screening of weapon formation genes implies significance of cell adhesion molecules and female-biased genes in broad-horned flour beetle. PLoS Genetics |
| title | Transcriptomic and functional screening of weapon formation genes implies significance of cell adhesion molecules and female-biased genes in broad-horned flour beetle. |
| title_full | Transcriptomic and functional screening of weapon formation genes implies significance of cell adhesion molecules and female-biased genes in broad-horned flour beetle. |
| title_fullStr | Transcriptomic and functional screening of weapon formation genes implies significance of cell adhesion molecules and female-biased genes in broad-horned flour beetle. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcriptomic and functional screening of weapon formation genes implies significance of cell adhesion molecules and female-biased genes in broad-horned flour beetle. |
| title_short | Transcriptomic and functional screening of weapon formation genes implies significance of cell adhesion molecules and female-biased genes in broad-horned flour beetle. |
| title_sort | transcriptomic and functional screening of weapon formation genes implies significance of cell adhesion molecules and female biased genes in broad horned flour beetle |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011069 |
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