Insulin signalling underlies both plasticity and divergence of a reproductive trait in Drosophila.
نویسندگان
چکیده
Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a single genotype to yield distinct phenotypes in different environments. The molecular mechanisms linking phenotypic plasticity to the evolution of heritable diversification, however, are largely unknown. Here, we show that insulin/insulin-like growth factor signalling (IIS) underlies both phenotypic plasticity and evolutionary diversification of ovariole number, a quantitative reproductive trait, in Drosophila. IIS activity levels and sensitivity have diverged between species, leading to both species-specific ovariole number and species-specific nutritional plasticity in ovariole number. Plastic range of ovariole number correlates with ecological niche, suggesting that the degree of nutritional plasticity may be an adaptive trait. This demonstrates that a plastic response conserved across animals can underlie the evolution of morphological diversity, underscoring the potential pervasiveness of plasticity as an evolutionary mechanism.
منابع مشابه
Insulin Signaling Underlies Both Plasticity and Divergence of a Reproductive Trait in Drosophila
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عنوان ژورنال:
- Proceedings. Biological sciences
دوره 281 1779 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2014