Detailed project information

Diversity in animal form results from a balance between the genetic and developmental processes that generate variation, and the evolutionary forces that sort that variation. This balance is the focus of evolutionary-developmental biology (evo-devo). Much of morphological diversity arises from the evolution of novelties, and the diversification of serially-repeated structures. Butterfly wings provide beautiful examples of both processes and are one of evo-devo?s most appealing and tractable study systems. This research program focuses on wing patterns in the emerging model butterfly Bicyclus anynana and applies methods and concepts from evolutionary genomics and developmental biology to address key issues in evo-devo. Specifically, I will focus on examining how genetic pathways implicated in conserved and crucial developmental processes (namely, embryonic development and wound healing) are re-deployed into performing new functions in ?painting? butterfly wings, and how they can contribute to their diversification. I propose to use an integrated approach that combines well-established and newly developed tools in two research projects, each focusing on commonalities between wing pattern formation and a different, more conserved developmental process. These projects are complementary both conceptually and methodologically, combining the analysis of: 1) specific genetic pathways (embryos and Wingless signaling) and a more genome-wide approach (expression profiling and gene mapping in relation to wound-induced eyespots), 2) alleles of large effect (spontaneous mutations in lab stocks) and segregating quantitative variation (explored in artificial selection lines), 3) early (embryo) and later (pupal wing) developmental processes. Together, they will provide a detailed genetic and developmental dissection of formation and variation in adaptive morphological novelties, while giving new insights into crucial and extensively studied developmental pathways of biomedical importance. The proposed research program will contribute to a deeper understanding of the way developmental processes evolve and, conversely, of how their properties can influence evolutionary diversification.

Articles

• SV Saenko, N Pul, AD Long, Dr. P.B. Beldade (2009). A gene-based linkage map for Bicyclus anynana butterflies allows for a comprehensive analysis of synteny with the lepidopteran reference genome.. PLoS Genetics. pp. e1000366-
• PJ Wittkopp, Dr. P.B. Beldade (2009). Development and evolution of insect pigmentation: genetic mechanisms and the potential consequences of pleiotropy.. Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology. pp. 65-71
• PM Brakefield, SV Saenko, Dr. P.B. Beldade (2010). Single locus affects embryonic segment polarity and multiple aspects of an adult evolutionary novelty. BMC Biology. pp. 111-