Evolution of chemosensory and detoxification gene families across herbivorous Drosophilidae.

ABSTRACT: Herbivorous insects are exceptionally diverse, accounting for a quarter of all known eukaryotic species, but the genetic basis of adaptations that enabled this dietary transition remains poorly understood. Many studies have suggested that expansions and contractions of chemosensory and detoxification gene families - genes directly mediating interactions with plant chemical defenses - underlie successful plant colonization. However, this hypothesis has been challenging to test because the origins of herbivory in many lineages are ancient (>150 million years ago [mya]), obscuring genomic evolutionary patterns. Here, we characterized chemosensory and detoxification gene family evolution across Scaptomyza, a genus nested within Drosophila that includes a recently derived (<15 mya

SUBMITTER: Pelaez JN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10055167 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature