Evolutionary Insights into Taste Perception of the Invasive Pest Drosophila suzukii.

ABSTRACT: Chemosensory perception allows insects to interact with the environment by perceiving odorant or tastant molecules; genes encoding chemoreceptors are the molecular interface between the environment and the insect, and play a central role in mediating its chemosensory behavior. Here, we explore how the evolution of these genes in the emerging pest Drosophila suzukii correlates with the peculiar ecology of this species. We annotated approximately 130 genes coding for gustatory receptors (GRs) and divergent ionotropic receptors (dIRs) in D. suzukii and in its close relative D. biarmipes We then analyzed the evolution, in terms of size, of each gene family as well of the molecular evolution of the genes in a 14 Drosophila species phylogenetic framework. We show that the overall evolution of GR

SUBMITTER: Crava CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5144986 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature