Apolipoprotein D neofunctionalization couples lipid allocation to wing evolution

ABSTRACT: The origin of insect wings marked a pivotal evolutionary innovation that enabled their extraordinary ecological success, yet the metabolic mechanisms sustaining this transition remain elusive. Here, we identify apolipoprotein D2 (ApoD2)-a neofunctionalized paralog of apolipoprotein D-as a key metabolic regulator that spatially coordinates lipid allocation during lepidopteran wing development. Comparative phylogenomics across 791 metazoan genomes revealed that ApoD2 emerged as a lepidopteran duplicate exhibiting sustained, wing-enriched expression across developmental stages. Using Bombyx mori as a model, we show that ApoD2 is indispensable for wing morphogenesis, coupling lipid compartmentalization to local energetic demands. Loss of ApoD2 disrupts mitochondrial bioenergetics and fatty aci

SUBMITTER: Yuxin Huang 

PROVIDER: S-SCDT-10_1038-S44318-026-00821-0 | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other