通过交叉定位和全基因组关联分析，课题组研究人员确定了时钟蛋白CYCLE的N端是蚕蛾胚胎滞育差异的主要热效应因子。课题组发现，多伏特菌株的非异位表型是由一个特定的缺失引起的，该缺失破坏了CYCLE的另一种异构体。该团队进一步证明，不同的CYCLE异构体有助于调节昼夜节律和失调的功能多样性，这在鳞翅目中至少保存了1.1亿年。他们的研究提出了一个模型，解释了适应性表型如何在不影响相关基本功能的情况下快速进化。
据介绍，蝶失是一种常见的季节性适应策略，可以调节昆虫的年度时间。目前还很少发现与失育差异有关的遗传位点。
附：英文原文
Title: Functional polymorphism of CYCLE underlies the diapause variation in moths
Author: Shirui Zheng, Yaohui Wang, Guiyun Li, Sheng Qin, Zhi Dong, Xu Yang, Xiaomiao Xu, Gangqi Fang, Muwang Li, Shuai Zhan
Issue&Volume: 2025-05-29
Abstract: Diapause is a common seasonal adaptive strategy that regulates annual timing in insects. Very few causal loci underlying diapause variation have yet been identified. By leveraging cross-mapping and genome-wide association analysis, we identified the N terminus of the clock protein CYCLE as a major causal effector underlying embryonic diapause differences in the silk moth. We found that the nondiapause phenotype in polyvoltine strains results from a specific deletion that disrupts an alternative isoform of CYCLE. We further demonstrated that different CYCLE isoforms contribute to a functional diversity in modulating circadian rhythms and diapause, which has been preserved in Lepidoptera for at least 110 million years. Our study proposes a model that explains how adaptive phenotypes can evolve rapidly without affecting related essential functions.
DOI: ado2129
Source: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ado2129