Data from: Effects of PcG gene knockdowns on adult morphology

Aposematic coloration offers an opportunity to explore the molecular
mechanisms underlying canalization. In this study, the role of epigenetic
regulation underlying robustness was explored in the aposematic coloration
of the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus. Polycomb (Pc) and Enhancer of
Zeste (E(z)), which encode components of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 1
(PRC1) and PRC2, respectively, and jing, a component of the PRC2.2
subcomplex, were knocked down in the fourth instar of O. fasciatus.
Knockdown of these genes led to alterations in scutellar morphology and
melanization. In particular, when Pc was knocked down, the adults
developed a highly melanized abdomen, head, and forewings at all
temperatures examined. In contrast, the E(z) and jing knockdown led to
increased plasticity of the dorsal forewing melanization across different
temperatures. Moreover, jing knockdown adults exhibited increased
plasticity in the dorsal melanization of the head and the thorax. These
observations demonstrate that histone modifiers may play a key role during
the process of canalization to confer robustness in the aposematic
coloration.