The evolutionary genetics of egg size plasticity in a butterfly

Steigenga, Marc J.; Zwaan, Bas J.; Brakefield, Paul M.; Fischer, Klaus

doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2004.00855.x

Cited by 43 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…The presence of genetic variation for phenotypic plasticity supports the growing consensus that phenotypic plasticity itself is a genetic trait (Scheiner 1993;Scheiner and Yampolsky 1998) and that the reaction norm approach provides a valuable approach to studying its genetics (Loeschcke et al 1999;Steigenga et al 2005;Gutteling et al 2007). Genetic variation for temperature response has been reported for several species (Hassall et al 2006;Seko et al 2006;Gutteling et al 2007), but seems to be lacking in others (Fischer et al 2004;Azevedo et al 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…The degree of plasticity is defined as the slope of a reaction norm, i.e., a steeper relationship is considered to be more plastic ( de Jong 1990). A large number of laboratory experiments and quantitative genetic studies have demonstrated that there is genetic variation among individuals and populations in the steepness and elevation of thermal reaction norms (Loeschcke et al 1999;Steigenga et al 2005;Driessen et al 2007;Gutteling et al 2007;van Asch et al 2007;Liefting and Ellers 2008;Bahrndorff et al 2009). Such variation is possibly caused by biochemical differences in metabolic enzymes (Hochachka and Somero 2002) or by differences in gene expression (Schlichting and Smith 2002;Li et al 2006;Ellers et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genetic correlation between temperature-induced plasticity of life-history traits in a soil arthropod

Ellers¹,

Driessen²

2010

Evol Ecol

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Temperature is considered one of the most important mediators of phenotypic plasticity in ectotherms. However, the costs and benefits shaping the evolution of different thermal responses are poorly elucidated. One of the possible constraints to phenotypic plasticity is its intrinsic genetic cost, such as genetic linkage or pleiotropy. Genetic coupling of the thermal response curves for different life history traits may significantly affect the evolution of thermal sensitivity in thermally fluctuating environments. We used the collembolan Orchesella cincta to study if there is genetic variation in temperature-induced phenotypic plasticity in life history traits, and if the degree of temperature-induced plasticity is correlated across traits. Egg development rate, juvenile growth rate and egg size of 19 inbred isofemale lines were measured at two temperatures. Our results show that temperature was a highly significant factor for all three traits. Egg development rate and juvenile growth rate increased with increasing temperature, while egg size decreased. Line by temperature interaction was significant for all traits tested; indicating that genetic variation for temperature-induced plasticity existed. The degree of plasticity was significantly positively correlated between egg development rate and growth rate, but plasticity in egg size was not correlated to the other two plasticity traits. The findings suggest that the thermal plasticities of egg development rate and growth rate are partly under the control of the same genes or genetic regions. Hence, evolution of the thermal plasticity of traits cannot be understood in isolation of the response of other traits. If traits have similar and additive effects on fitness, genetic coupling between these traits may well facilitate the evolution of optimal phenotypes. However, for this we need to know the selective forces under field conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic correlation between temperature-induced plasticity of life-history traits in a soil arthropod

Ellers¹,

Driessen²

2010

Evol Ecol

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“…They may, for example, be of similar shape but with different temperatures of maximum performance, i.e., shifted horizontally along the temperature axis (e.g., the ovariole number in the fruit fly Drosophila ananassae, Yadav & Singh, 2005). They can also be of similar shape but shifted vertically along the performance axis, implying that some individuals perform faster or bigger at all temperatures (e.g., egg size in the tropical butterfly Bicyclus anynana, Steigenga et al, 2005). Finally, reaction norms can also differ in shape, for example steep reaction norms over a relatively narrow temperature interval with a high maximum performance versus flat reaction norms over a broad temperature range with lower maximum performance (e.g., body size in Drosophila melanogaster, David et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation, selection and heritability of thermal reaction norms for juvenile growth in Orchesella cincta (Collembola: Entomobryidae)

Driessen¹,

Ellers²,

Straalen³

2007

Eur. J. Entomol.

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Abstract. Genetic variation for thermal plasticity plays an important role in the success or failure of a species with respect to the colonization of different thermal habitats and the ability to deal with climatic change. The aim of this paper is to study the relative contribution of the additive and non-additive components of genetic variation for the slope of the temperature reaction norm for juvenile growth rate in the springtail Orchesella cincta. We present the outcome of an artificial selection experiment for steep and flat temperature reaction norms and the results of a parent-offspring heritability experiment. There was a considerable phenotypic variation for the slope of the reaction norm. The selection experiment and the offspring to parent regression analysis, however, yielded no evidence for significant additive genetic variance. There were also no indications for maternal effects. The full-sib analysis, on the other hand, revealed a significant broad sense heritability of 0.76. An unforeseen result was that the slopes of females were steeper than those of males. This influenced the broad sense heritability of the full-sib analysis, since accidental female or male biased broods inflate the estimate of heritability. A randomization test showed that the probability level of the observed "between group" variance on the basis of the sexual differences alone was less than 10 -5 . From this we conclude that autosomal genetic variation played its own separate role. In conclusion, the thermal reaction norm for growth in juvenile O. cincta is not very much determined by the additive effects of a large number of independent genes, but more likely based on a still unknown but mainly non-additive, partially sex-related genetic mechanism, possibly including both dominance and epistatic effects. Hypotheses about the role of phenotypic plasticity in processes of local adaptation and speciation should thus be alert to such a complex genetic architecture.

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“…The butterfly B. anynana belongs to a group of the Lepidoptera in which vitellogenesis and choriogenesis seem to depend exclusively on JH (Ramaswamy et al, 1997). Reproduction, including different strategies in response to prevailing temperatures, has been extensively studied in B. anynana (Fischer et al, 2003a;Fischer et al, 2004;Fischer et al, 2003b;Steigenga et al, 2005), but its hormonal control is hitherto only poorly understood (Steigenga et al, 2006), making this species another suitable model. Given the dependence of reproduction on JH in both species, we here examine the effect of the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 on lifetime fecundity and egg size, on in vitro and in vivo JH biosynthesis, and its interactions with JH mimics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 on female reproduction and juvenile hormone biosynthesis in the cricketGryllus bimaculatusand the butterflyBicyclus anynana

Geister

Lorenz

Hoffmann

et al. 2008

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYApart from regulating insect development, juvenile hormones (JHs) play an important role in insect reproduction, where they initiate vitellogenin synthesis and regulate the uptake of yolk by the ovary. JH synthesis is a tightly regulated process controlled by neurons and peptidergic neurosecretory cells. One of the known stimulatory regulators of JH biosynthesis is glutamate, and its N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor has been recently found in the cockroach Diploptera punctata. In this study we demonstrate a strong reduction in reproductive output in the tropical butterfly Bicyclus anynana and the Mediterranean field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus caused by the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801. Such inhibiting effects on reproduction could be overruled by the application of JH mimics. In G. bimaculatus, MK-801 inhibits in vitro JH biosynthesis in the corpora allata and reduces in vivo JH haemolymph titres in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that JH biosynthesis in the corpora allata is at least in part controlled by an NMDA receptor with Ca 2+ as a second level messenger. Based on our findings we consider NMDA receptor antagonists as important tools for manipulating juvenile hormone biosynthesis and therefore for gaining a better understanding of the mechanistic basis of reproduction.

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The evolutionary genetics of egg size plasticity in a butterfly

Cited by 43 publications

References 61 publications

Genetic correlation between temperature-induced plasticity of life-history traits in a soil arthropod

Genetic correlation between temperature-induced plasticity of life-history traits in a soil arthropod

Variation, selection and heritability of thermal reaction norms for juvenile growth in Orchesella cincta (Collembola: Entomobryidae)

Effects of the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 on female reproduction and juvenile hormone biosynthesis in the cricketGryllus bimaculatusand the butterflyBicyclus anynana

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