Plasticity for the win : Flexible transcriptional response to host plant switches in the comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album)
(2024) In Molecular Ecology 33(16).- Abstract
Generalist plant-feeding insects are characterised by a broad host repertoire that can comprise several families or even different orders of plants. The genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying the use of such a wide host range are still not fully understood. Earlier studies indicate that the consumption of different host plants is associated with host-specific gene expression profiles. It remained, however, unclear if and how larvae can alter these profiles in the case of a changing host environment. Using the polyphagous comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) we show that larvae can adjust their transcriptional profiles in response to a new host plant. The switch to some of the host plants, however, resulted in a larger... (More)
Generalist plant-feeding insects are characterised by a broad host repertoire that can comprise several families or even different orders of plants. The genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying the use of such a wide host range are still not fully understood. Earlier studies indicate that the consumption of different host plants is associated with host-specific gene expression profiles. It remained, however, unclear if and how larvae can alter these profiles in the case of a changing host environment. Using the polyphagous comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) we show that larvae can adjust their transcriptional profiles in response to a new host plant. The switch to some of the host plants, however, resulted in a larger transcriptional response and, thus, seems to be more challenging. At a physiological level, no correspondence for these patterns could be found in larval performance. This suggests that a high transcriptional but also phenotypic flexibility are essential for the use of a broad and diverse host range. We furthermore propose that host switch tests in the laboratory followed by transcriptomic investigations can be a valuable tool to examine not only plasticity in host use but also subtle and/or transient trade-offs in the evolution of host plant repertoires.
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- author
- Schneider, Katharina ; Steward, Rachel A. LU ; Celorio-Mancera, Maria de la Paz ; Janz, Niklas ; Moberg, Dick ; Wheat, Christopher W. and Nylin, Sören
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-08
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- gene expression, host plant adaptation, insect–plant association, phenotypic plasticity
- in
- Molecular Ecology
- volume
- 33
- issue
- 16
- article number
- e17479
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85199109034
- pmid:39036890
- ISSN
- 0962-1083
- DOI
- 10.1111/mec.17479
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- fc00c3ee-89d1-4e1d-a78b-b487ed48ba99
- date added to LUP
- 2024-09-10 14:42:07
- date last changed
- 2024-10-08 19:37:41
@article{fc00c3ee-89d1-4e1d-a78b-b487ed48ba99,
abstract = {{<p>Generalist plant-feeding insects are characterised by a broad host repertoire that can comprise several families or even different orders of plants. The genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying the use of such a wide host range are still not fully understood. Earlier studies indicate that the consumption of different host plants is associated with host-specific gene expression profiles. It remained, however, unclear if and how larvae can alter these profiles in the case of a changing host environment. Using the polyphagous comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) we show that larvae can adjust their transcriptional profiles in response to a new host plant. The switch to some of the host plants, however, resulted in a larger transcriptional response and, thus, seems to be more challenging. At a physiological level, no correspondence for these patterns could be found in larval performance. This suggests that a high transcriptional but also phenotypic flexibility are essential for the use of a broad and diverse host range. We furthermore propose that host switch tests in the laboratory followed by transcriptomic investigations can be a valuable tool to examine not only plasticity in host use but also subtle and/or transient trade-offs in the evolution of host plant repertoires.</p>}},
author = {{Schneider, Katharina and Steward, Rachel A. and Celorio-Mancera, Maria de la Paz and Janz, Niklas and Moberg, Dick and Wheat, Christopher W. and Nylin, Sören}},
issn = {{0962-1083}},
keywords = {{gene expression; host plant adaptation; insect–plant association; phenotypic plasticity}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{16}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Molecular Ecology}},
title = {{Plasticity for the win : Flexible transcriptional response to host plant switches in the comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album)}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.17479}},
doi = {{10.1111/mec.17479}},
volume = {{33}},
year = {{2024}},
}