Replicated Differential Expression Analysis in a Green-Brown Polymorphic Grasshopper Reveals Role of Beta-Carotene-Binding Protein in Body Coloration.

ABSTRACT: Orthoptera provide a well-documented case of transspecies colour polymorphism, with green and brown morphs coexisting in many species. This colour polymorphism is likely under long-term balancing selection, but the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying the variation remain poorly understood. Here, we used transcriptome data alongside a novel chromosome-level assembly to perform differential gene expression analysis in the club-legged grasshopper Gomphocerus sibiricus (Caelifera: Acrididae: Gomphocerinae), aiming to identify the specific genes involved in the differentiation between green and brown morphs. Since differential expression analyses are prone to false positives, we replicated the analysis using an independent sample of individuals of the same species. We found six genes co

SUBMITTER: Jiang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12617024 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature