Conserved signaling pathways antagonize and synergize with co-opteddoublesexto control development of novel mimetic butterfly wing patterns

Abstract

ABSTRACTNovel phenotypes are increasingly recognized to have evolved by co-option of conserved genes into new developmental contexts, yet the impact of co-option on existing developmental programs remains obscure. Here we provide insight into this process by characterizing the consequences ofdoublesexco-option on wing color pattern development inPapilioswallowtail butterflies. doublesexis the master regulator of insect sex differentiation but has been co-opted to control the switch between discrete mimetic and non-mimetic, male-like color patterns inPapilio polytesand its close relatives. Here we show that development of the mimetic color pattern inP. polytesis caused by a pulse ofdsxexpression early in female wing development that results in a corresponding pulse of differential expression that both alters color pattern development and quickly becomes decoupled fromdsxexpression itself. Differentially expressed genes were enriched in canonical Wnt and Hedgehog signaling pathway genes, but case studies of key genes using RNAi and antibody stains suggested opposing, novel roles for the two pathways in mimetic color pattern development. The pulse of Dsx expression caused Engrailed, the key transcription factor effector of Hh signaling, to gain anterior expression in early pupal wing development. However, Dsx and En became decoupled by mid-pupal development when En pre-figured melanic and red patterns and Dsx pre-figured white patterns. In contrast, Wnt signaling antagonizes Dsx in restricted regions of the wing to refine the mimetic color pattern. Our results therefore provide strong experimental evidence thatdsxco-option significantly altered spatiotemporal activities of conserved wing patterning pathways to promote and refine the development of a novel adaptive color pattern. Altogether, our findings provide strong evidence for how co-opted genes can both cause and elicit changes to established gene regulatory networks during the evolution and development of novel phenotypes.