Project description:Butterfly wing patterns are an important model for studying the genetic basis of morphological evolution. Here we used RNA-seq expression profiling in the butterfly Vanessa cardui to characterize the transcriptional basis of wing pigmentation. This approach identified numerous candidate genes including known and suspected components of the insect melanin and ommochrome biosynthetic pathways.
Project description:Expression profiling of the effect of eggs of the Pieris rapae butterfly on Arabidopsis thaliana local leaf vs. distal leaf using 5mm leaf disk
Project description:The Arabidopsis thaliana Imitation Switch (AtISWI) subfamily of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors play essential roles in plant development. Here we show that the DDT domain transcription factor RINGLET (RLT) form a complex with AtISWI. RLT1 physically interacts with CHR11 in yeast cells. Single mutants rlt1-1 and rlt2-1 show no obvious developmental defects, while the rlt1-1 rlt2-1 double mutant phenocopies the AtISWI mutant chr11-1 chr17-1. In addtion, the RLT-ISWI complex selectively represses SEPALLATA, FRUITFULL and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CO 1, but not AGAMOUS and PISTILLATA in leaves.
Project description:Expression profiling of the affect of eggs of the Pieris brassicae butterfly on Arabidopsis thaliana local leaf vs. the distal leaf using leaf disks the size of the egg batch.
Project description:Background: We studied the chromatin accessibility landscsape in wings during butterfly metamorphosis, and investigate which transcription factors might be driving changes in accessibility Methods: We sequencing the Junonia coenia genome, and we studied chromatin accessibility using ATAC seq in multiple stages of wing development in both forewings and hindwings. For sites showing a large change in accessibility, we investigate which motifs are enriched, and correlate this with changes in gene expression of associated transcription factors. We confirm promising candidates with ChIP-seq Results: We find a highly dynamic landscape, with multiple peaks showing a double increase in accessibility throughout development. We show that transcription factor spineless, but not ecdysone receptor, is highly predictive of opening sites Conclusions: This work provides a characterization of the chromatin dynamics of insect wing metamorphosis, identifies novel candidate chromatin remodeling factors in insects, and provides the first genome assembly of the model butterfly Junonia coenia, with gene and cis-regulatory element annotations
