International Team Reveals Monarch Butterfly's Genetic Secrets
October 8, 2014| |
A team of scientists from around the world has sequenced the genome of the monarch butterfly. The scientists identified a single gene responsible for building muscle tissue that is key to the monarch butterfly's annual mass migration, and another that controls pigmentation. They also shed light on the evolutionary origins of the monarch.
The team sequenced the genomes of 92 monarch specimens from around the world and nine other butterfly species. The gene Collagen IV alpha-1, was identified to have a strong influence on migratory behavior by building muscle tissue and making metabolism more efficient in the migratory monarch populations. They also found that wing color variation was decided by the myosin gene DPOGS206617, which has never before been connected with pigmentation in insects.
For more details about this research, read the following news releases: http://www.uchospitals.edu/news/2014/20141002-kronforst.html and http://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2014/10/monarch-butterflies-built-migration.
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