Nutritional conditions during early development influence the plastic expression of adult phenotypes. Among several body modules of animals, the development of sexually selected exaggerated traits exhibits striking nutrition sensitivity, resulting in positive allometry and hypervariability distinct from other traits. Using de novo RNA sequencing and comprehensive RNA interference (RNAi) for epigenetic modifying factors, we found that histone deacetylases (HDACs) and polycomb group (PcG) proteins preferentially influence the size of mandibles (exaggerated male weapon) and demonstrate nutrition-dependent hypervariability in the broad-horned flour beetle, Gnatocerus cornutus. RNAi-mediated HDAC1 knockdown (KD) in G. cornutus larvae caused specific curtailment of mandibles in adults, whereas HDAC3 KD led to hypertrophy. Notably, these KDs conferred opposite effects on wing size, but little effect on the size of the core body and genital modules. PcG RNAi also reduced adult mandible size. These results suggest that the plastic development of exaggerated traits is controlled in a module-specific manner by HDACs.phenotypic plasticity | HDAC | Gnatocerus cornutus | exaggerated male weapon | sexual dimorphism

EBV remains a significant public health challenge, causing infectious mononucleosis and several cancer types. Therefore, the better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying EBV replication is of high clinical importance.

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Several viruses have been linked to the development of cancer in humans. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the first identified human oncovirus, causes a wide range of cancers.