Novel Sex-Specific Genes and Diverse Interspecific Expression in the Antennal Transcriptomes of Ithomiine Butterflies.

ABSTRACT: The olfactory sense is crucial for organisms, facilitating environmental recognition and interindividual communication. Ithomiini butterflies exemplify this importance not only because they rely strongly on olfactory cues for both inter- and intra-sexual behaviors, but also because they show convergent evolution of specialized structures within the antennal lobe, called macroglomerular complexes (MGCs). These structures, widely absent in butterflies, are present in moths where they enable heightened sensitivity to, and integration of, information from various types of pheromones. In this study, we investigate chemosensory evolution across six Ithomiini species and identify possible links between expression profiles and neuroanatomical. To enable this, we sequenced four new high-quality gen

SUBMITTER: Cicconardi F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11500719 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature