Scientists have identified the genomic dark matter uncovers evolutionary mystery in butterflies is a surprising genetic mechanism that affects the vibrant and intricate patterns on butterfly wings. Contrary to previous beliefs, the team found that an RNA molecule, not a protein, is crucial in controlling the distribution of black pigment on butterfly wings.
| Date | August 30, 2024 |
| Source | George Washington University |
| Summary | New Research Unveils an Unexpected Genetic Mechanism Shaping Butterfly Wing Coloration |
If you want to know recent biology news like Genomic dark matter uncovers evolutionary mystery in butterflies : Smell prepares nematodes and the human gut to combat infections, Mantis Shrimp-Clam Relationship Challenges a Biological Principle, Injury Dressings in First-Aid Kits Can Identify Shark Species After Bite Incidents, Harnessing big data helps scientists home in on new antimicrobials, New geological datings place the first European hominids in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, A New Rule of Biology Focusing on Evolution and Aging.
The mystery of how butterflies create their vivid wing patterns has intrigued biologists for centuries. The genetic code within the cells of developing butterfly wings directs the specific arrangement of color on the wing’s scales, akin to the way colored pixels form a digital image. Understanding this genetic code is essential for comprehending how our own genes shape our anatomy which will help us to understand that how genomic dark matter uncovers evolutionary mystery in butterflies.
How genomic dark matter uncovers evolutionary mystery in butterflies
- An international team of researchers has discovered the genomic dark matter uncovers evolutionary mystery in butterflies which is an unexpected genetic mechanism that shapes the vibrant and intricate patterns on butterfly wings.
- The study, led by Luca Livraghi of George Washington University and the University of Cambridge, and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that an RNA molecule, rather than the previously assumed protein, plays a crucial role in determining the distribution of black pigment on butterfly wings.
- In the lab, scientists can manipulate this code in butterflies using gene-editing tools to observe changes in visible traits, such as wing coloration. While it has long been known that protein-coding genes are vital to these processes—directing when and where particular pigments should be generated—the new research offers a different perspective.
- The team identified a gene that produces an RNA molecule, not a protein, which controls the placement of dark pigments during butterfly metamorphosis. By using the genome-editing technique CRISPR, the researchers showed that removing the gene responsible for the RNA molecule results in butterflies losing their black pigmented scales entirely, establishing a direct link between RNA activity and the development of dark pigment.
- This RNA molecule directly influences where black pigment appears on the wings, shaping the butterfly’s color patterns in ways we hadn’t anticipated.
- The researchers delved deeper into how this RNA molecule functions during wing development. They found a perfect correlation between the RNA’s expression and the formation of black scales.
- They were amazed that this gene is activated precisely where the black scales will eventually develop. It truly acts like an evolutionary paintbrush, creating intricate patterns across various species.
- The team also studied this RNA in several other butterfly species, whose evolutionary paths diverged around 80 million years ago. They found that the RNA had evolved to control new patterns of dark pigments in these species.
- The consistent results from CRISPR mutants across different species show that this RNA gene is not a recent development but a key ancestral mechanism for controlling wing pattern diversity.
- Many scientists have examined this genetic trait in various butterfly species, and remarkably, this same RNA is consistently used—from longwing butterflies to monarchs and painted ladies. It’s clearly a crucial gene for the evolution of wing patterns.
- These findings challenge long-held beliefs about genetic regulation and open new possibilities for studying how visible traits evolve in animals.
FAQ:
1. What are butterfly wings made of?
Butterfly wings are made of thin layers of chitin, a protein that is also found in the exoskeletons of other insects. The wings are covered in tiny scales, which are the source of the butterfly’s color and patterns.
2. Why are butterfly wings so colorful?
The vibrant colors of butterfly wings result from the arrangement and structure of the scales on the wings. Colors can be produced by pigments within the scales or by the microscopic structure of the scales themselves, which can reflect and refract light in different ways, creating iridescent or structural colors.