GEPHE SUMMARY Print
Gephebase Gene
Entry Status
Published
GepheID
GP00001212
Main curator
Martin
PHENOTYPIC CHANGE
Trait Category
Trait State in Taxon A
Heliconius himera - central color patch
Trait State in Taxon B
Heliconius erato etylus - distal color patch
Ancestral State
Data not curated
Taxonomic Status
Taxon A
Common Name
-
Synonyms
-
Rank
species
Lineage
Show more ... dylia; Pterygota; Neoptera; Holometabola; Amphiesmenoptera; Lepidoptera; Glossata; Neolepidoptera; Heteroneura; Ditrysia; Obtectomera; Papilionoidea; Nymphalidae; Heliconiinae; Heliconiini; Heliconius
NCBI Taxonomy ID
is Taxon A an Infraspecies?
No
Taxon B
Common Name
crimson-patched longwing
Synonyms
crimson-patched longwing; Heliconius erato (Linnaeus, 1764)
Rank
species
Lineage
Show more ... dylia; Pterygota; Neoptera; Holometabola; Amphiesmenoptera; Lepidoptera; Glossata; Neolepidoptera; Heteroneura; Ditrysia; Obtectomera; Papilionoidea; Nymphalidae; Heliconiinae; Heliconiini; Heliconius
NCBI Taxonomy ID
is Taxon B an Infraspecies?
Yes
Taxon B Description
Heliconius erato etylus - distal color patch
GENOTYPIC CHANGE
Generic Gene Name
WntA
Synonyms
-
String
-
Sequence Similarities
Belongs to the Wnt family.
UniProtKB
Vanessa cardui
GenebankID or UniProtKB
Presumptive Null
No
Molecular Type
Aberration Type
Molecular Details of the Mutation
Not identified
Experimental Evidence
Authors
Martin A; Papa R; Nadeau NJ; Hill RI; Counterman BA; Halder G; Jiggins CD; Kronforst MR; et al. ... show more
Abstract
Although animals display a rich variety of shapes and patterns, the genetic changes that explain how complex forms arise are still unclear. Here we take advantage of the extensive diversity of Heliconius butterflies to identify a gene that causes adaptive variation of black wing patterns within and between species. Linkage mapping in two species groups, gene-expression analysis in seven species, and pharmacological treatments all indicate that cis-regulatory evolution of the WntA ligand underpins discrete changes in color pattern features across the Heliconius genus. These results illustrate how the direct modulation of morphogen sources can generate a wide array of unique morphologies, thus providing a link between natural genetic variation, pattern formation, and adaptation.
Additional References
RELATED GEPHE
Related Genes
Related Haplotypes
2
EXTERNAL LINKS
COMMENTS
See follow-up paper : Van Belleghem et al. for high-resolution Association Mapping of the H. erato etylus allele
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