Firefly genomes illuminate parallel origins of bioluminescence in beetles-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Firefly genomes illuminate parallel origins of bioluminescence in beetles

Published:2018-10-16 Issue: Volume:7 Page:
ISSN:2050-084X
Container-title:eLife
language:en
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Author:

Fallon Timothy R¹²^ORCID,Lower Sarah E³⁴^ORCID,Chang Ching-Ho⁵^ORCID,Bessho-Uehara Manabu⁶⁷⁸^ORCID,Martin Gavin J⁹^ORCID,Bewick Adam J¹⁰,Behringer Megan¹¹,Debat Humberto J¹²^ORCID,Wong Isaac⁵^ORCID,Day John C¹³^ORCID,Suvorov Anton⁹^ORCID,Silva Christian J⁵¹⁴^ORCID,Stanger-Hall Kathrin F¹⁵,Hall David W¹⁰^ORCID,Schmitz Robert J¹⁰^ORCID,Nelson David R¹⁶^ORCID,Lewis Sara M¹⁷,Shigenobu Shuji¹⁸^ORCID,Bybee Seth M⁹,Larracuente Amanda M⁵^ORCID,Oba Yuichi⁶^ORCID,Weng Jing-Ke¹²^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, United States

2. Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States

3. Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States

4. Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, United States

5. Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, United States

6. Department of Environmental Biology, Chubu University, Kasugai, Japan

7. Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

8. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, United States

9. Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, United States

10. Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, United States

11. Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States

12. Center of Agronomic Research, National Institute of Agricultural Technology, Córdoba, Argentina

13. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), Wallingford, United Kingdom

14. Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, United States

15. Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, United States

16. Department of Microbiology Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee HSC, Memphis, United States

17. Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, United States

18. NIBB Core Research Facilities, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan

Abstract

Fireflies and their luminous courtships have inspired centuries of scientific study. Today firefly luciferase is widely used in biotechnology, but the evolutionary origin of bioluminescence within beetles remains unclear. To shed light on this long-standing question, we sequenced the genomes of two firefly species that diverged over 100 million-years-ago: the North American Photinus pyralis and Japanese Aquatica lateralis. To compare bioluminescent origins, we also sequenced the genome of a related click beetle, the Caribbean Ignelater luminosus, with bioluminescent biochemistry near-identical to fireflies, but anatomically unique light organs, suggesting the intriguing hypothesis of parallel gains of bioluminescence. Our analyses support independent gains of bioluminescence in fireflies and click beetles, and provide new insights into the genes, chemical defenses, and symbionts that evolved alongside their luminous lifestyle.

Funder

Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation

Kinship Foundation

National Science Foundation

Pew Charitable Trusts

National Institute for Basic Biology

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Georgia Research Alliance

Experiment.com

Publisher

eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

Subject