The eye transcriptome of the butterfly Eumaeus atala

Color vision is largely mediated by changes in number, expression and spectral properties of rhodopsins, but the genetic mechanisms underlying adaptive shifts in spectral sensitivity within specific lineages remain largely unexplored. Using Eumaeus atala, the Atala hairstreak, a colorful butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. we show for that molecular and functional variation of long wavelength (LW) and blue opsin genes contributes in a coordinated way to adaptive changes in green-red spectral sensitivity. We used de novo transcriptomics to identify the various rhodopsins expressed in eye of E. atala and demonstrate how changes at multiple vision genes in the insect eye effectively create a coordinated mechanism expanding spectral sensitivity for visually guided behaviors such as selecting host plants and mates.

色觉主要由视紫红质（rhodopsin）的数量、表达水平及光谱特性的改变所介导，但特定类群内光谱敏感性适应性变化背后的遗传机制仍未得到充分解析。本研究以灰蝶科（Lycaenidae）色彩艳丽的蝴蝶苏铁小灰蝶（Eumaeus atala，别名Atala hairstreak）为实验材料，证实长波长视蛋白（long wavelength opsin, LW）与蓝色视蛋白（blue opsin）的分子与功能变异以协同方式参与了绿-红光谱敏感性的适应性调控。本研究通过从头转录组测序（de novo transcriptomics）鉴定了苏铁小灰蝶眼部表达的各类视紫红质，并阐明了昆虫眼部多个视觉基因的变异如何协同构建出一套扩展光谱敏感性的调控机制，从而支撑寄主植物选择、配偶选择等视觉导向行为。