Molecular phylogeny of silk-producing insects based on 16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I genes

Abstract

We have examined the molecular-phylogenetic relationships between nonmulberry and mulberry silkworm species that belong to the families Saturniidae, Bombycidae and Lasiocampidae using 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (coxI) gene sequences. Aligned nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA and coxI from 14 silk-producing species were used for construction of phylogenetic trees by maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony methods. The tree topology on the basis of 16S rRNA supports monophyly for members of Saturniidae and Bombycidae. Weighted parsimony analysis weighted towards transversions relative to transitions (ts, tv4) for coxI resulted in more robust bootstrap support over unweighted parsimony and favours the 16S rRNA tree topology. Combined analysis reflected clear biogeographic pattern, and agrees with morphological and cytological data.

Two female-specific DSX proteins are encoded by the sex-specific transcripts of dsx, and are required for female sexual differentiation in two wild silkmoth species, Antheraea assama and Antheraea mylitta (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae)

“…A. assama, considered to be the progenitor species of silkmoths (Arunkumar et al, 2008a), has low chromosome number (n ¼ 15) (Deodikar et al, 1962) as compared to other known silkmoths, and female lacks W chromosome (ZO), which makes it interesting for sex-determination studies. A. mylitta, another economically important silk secreting saturniid moth (n ¼ 31), has ZW females and ZZ males (Arunkumar et al, 2008b;Mahendran et al, 2006). The study reported here shows that Aadsx and Amydsx do not have TRA/TRA-2 binding sites, instead, contain PSI binding sequences in all the female-specific transcripts similar to Bmdsx.…”

Evolutionary dynamics of rDNA clusters on chromosomes of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera)

“…Idiograms of NOR-bearing chromosomes show number and location (terminal or interstitial without closer specification) of rDNA clusters (red) in haploid complement. Phylogenetic relationships are based on Kristensen (1999), Wahlberg et al (2005), Mahendran et al (2006), Mitchell et al (2006), and Regier et al (2008). Colours of phylogenetic branches indicate the following superfamilies: grey, Gelechioidea; orange, Tortricoidea; violet, Pyraloidea; blue, Bombycoidea; yellow, Papilionoidea; green, Noctuoidea.…”

DNA sequence and prokaryotic expression analysis of vitellogenin from Antheraea pernyi

“…Phenol/chloroform method was used for the extraction of genomic DNA (Mahendran et al, 2006) and total RNA was extracted using TRIzol TM Reagent (Invitrogen) according to the instructions. The extracted RNA or genomic DNA was checked by electrophoresis and ultraviolet spectrum.…”