Abstract
Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) prevent desiccation and serve as chemical signals that mediate social interactions. Drosophila melanogaster CHCs have been studied extensively, but the genetic basis for individual variation in CHC composition is largely unknown. We quantified variation in CHC profiles in the D. melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and identified novel CHCs. We used principal component (PC) analysis to extract PCs that explain the majority of CHC variation and identified polymorphisms in or near 305 and 173 genes in females and males, respectively, associated with variation in these PCs. In addition, 17 DGRP lines contain the functional Desat2 allele characteristic of African and Caribbean D. melanogaster females (more 5,9-C27:2 and less 7,11-C27:2, female sex pheromone isomers). Disruption of expression of 24 candidate genes affected CHC composition in at least one sex. These genes are associated with fatty acid metabolism and represent mechanistic targets for individual variation in CHC composition.
Highlights
Insects comprise the most species-rich class in the animal kingdom
Since cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) represent the boundary between the organism and its environment and mediate social interactions while offering protection against adverse environmental effects, variation in CHC profiles may present a target for natural selection and adaptive evolution
Using the D. melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP), we report one of the most comprehensive characterizations of natural variation in insect CHCs to date
Summary
Insects comprise the most species-rich class in the animal kingdom. They evolved about 480 million years ago and their fecundity and rapid evolutionary adaptations have made them successful in populating almost every ecological niche on our planet. The primary role of CHCs is desiccation resistance (Gibbs, 1998; 2002), but they have been co-opted to serve as chemical signals and cues mediating intra- and inter-specific social interactions (Venard and Jallon, 1980; Jallon, 1984; Ferveur, 2005). These interactions include species and nest-mate recognition, assessment of reproductive status, and mate choice, and CHCs play a prominent role in camouflage and mimicry that mediate inter-specific parasitic relationships (Stanley-Samuelson and Nelson, 1993; Blomquist and Bagnères, 2010)
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