Data from: Multiple capacitors for natural genetic variation in Drosophila melanogaster

Cryptic genetic variation (CGV) or a standing genetic variation that is not ordinarily expressed as a phenotype is released when the robustness of organisms is impaired under environmental or genetic perturbations. Evolutionary capacitors modulate the amount of genetic variation exposed to natural selection and hidden cryptically; they have a fundamental effect on the evolvability of traits on evolutionary timescales. In this study, I have demonstrated the effects of multiple genomic regions of Drosophila melanogaster on CGV in wing shape. I examined the effects of 61 genomic deficiencies on quantitative and qualitative natural genetic variation in the wing shape of D. melanogaster. I have identified 10 genomic deficiencies that do not encompass a known candidate evolutionary capacitor, Hsp90, exposing natural CGV differently depending on the location of the deficiencies in the genome. Furthermore, five genomic deficiencies uncovered qualitative CGV in wing morphology. These findings suggest that CGV in wing shape of wild-type D. melanogaster is regulated by multiple capacitors with divergent functions. Future analysis of genes encompassed by these genomic regions would help elucidate novel capacitor genes and better understand the general features of capacitors regarding natural genetic variation.

隐蔽遗传变异（Cryptic genetic variation, CGV），即一类通常不会以表型形式显现的现存遗传变异，会在生物体的鲁棒性受到环境扰动或遗传扰动破坏时被释放。进化电容器（Evolutionary capacitors）可调控暴露于自然选择以及被隐性隐藏的遗传变异总量，其在进化时间尺度上对性状的可演化性具有根本性影响。本研究证实了黑腹果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）的多个基因组区域对翅形相关CGV的调控作用。本研究考察了61种基因组缺失对黑腹果蝇翅形的数量性状与质量性状自然遗传变异的影响，发现10种基因组缺失并未包含已知的候选进化电容器热休克蛋白90（Hsp90），且它们会根据自身在基因组中的位置差异，以不同方式暴露自然CGV；此外，有5种基因组缺失可揭示翅形形态学上的质量性状CGV。上述研究结果表明，野生型黑腹果蝇翅形的CGV受多个功能各异的进化电容器调控。后续针对这些基因组区域所包含的基因开展分析，将有助于阐明新型进化电容器基因，并进一步理解进化电容器在自然遗传变异相关研究中的通用特征。