Parallel evolution of opsin visual pigments in hawkmoths by tuning of spectral sensitivities during transition from a nocturnal to a diurnal ecology.

ABSTRACT: Light environments differ dramatically between day and night. The transition between diurnal and nocturnal visual ecology has happened repeatedly throughout evolution in many species. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the evolution of vision in recent diurnal-nocturnal transition is poorly understood. Here, we focus on hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) to address this question by investigating five nocturnal and five diurnal species. We performed RNA-sequencing analysis and identified opsin genes corresponding to the ultraviolet (UV), short-wavelength (SW) and long-wavelength (LW)-absorbing visual pigments. We found no significant differences in the expression patterns of opsin genes between the nocturnal and diurnal species. We then constructed the phylogenetic trees of hawkmo

SUBMITTER: Akiyama T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10112871 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature