Affiliations: 1) National Central University; 2) National Health Research Institutes
Keywords: Coevolution
Pigmentation is one of the most variable traits among animals and is commonly subjected to either or both, natural and sexual selection. Male-specific wing pigmentation is one of the most variable and novel traits in several Drosophila species groups that have recently emerged and subsequently diversified. This male-specific wing spot has been proposed to be associated with frontal wing display, which serves as an advantage to males in the mating process. Thus, the evolution of male-specific wing spot and frontal wing courtship display in the Drosophila elegans species subgroup serves an intricate case of genetic correlation of distinct phenotypic traits. Based on the previous studies, the formation of pigmentation results from the conversion of melanin precursors, wherever converting enzymes is present. With insights from recent molecular studies, the expression of genes that encodes pigmentation influencing enzyme, alone are not sufficient to generate wing spots neither the loss of these genes are sufficient to lose wing spots. Therefore, the molecular bases underlying the genetic mechanism for even only wing spot evolution remained elusive. Hence, we plan to perform whole genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis of D. elegans (which possesses both male wing spots and frontal wing courtship display) and its sibling species D. gunungcola (which lacks both of these characters). By adopting contemporary sequencing technology we can perform a comprehensive characterization of the genome assembly which will include genomic size, satellite DNA content, comparative gene catalog, genetic switch(s), characterization of structural variants, protein-coding gene catalog, detect mutation(s), and base modification such as methylation. All this will substantially expand our knowledge regarding genetic bases that cause wing spot and frontal wing courtship display.