Spodoptera littoralis genome mining brings insights on the dynamic of expansion of gustatory receptors in polyphagous noctuidae.

ABSTRACT: The bitter taste, triggered via gustatory receptors, serves as an important natural defense against the ingestion of poisonous foods in animals, and the increased host breadth is usually linked to an increase in the number of gustatory receptor genes. This has been especially observed in polyphagous insect species, such as noctuid species from the Spodoptera genus. However, the dynamic and physical mechanisms leading to these gene expansions and the evolutionary pressures behind them remain elusive. Among major drivers of genome dynamics are the transposable elements but, surprisingly, their potential role in insect gustatory receptor expansion has not been considered yet. In this work, we hypothesized that transposable elements and possibly positive selection would be involved in the high

SUBMITTER: Meslin C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9339325 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature