1. Evolution of Opsin Genes in Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera).
- Author
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Powell A, Heckenhauer J, Pauls SU, Ríos-Touma B, Kuranishi RB, Holzenthal RW, Razuri-Gonzales E, Bybee S, and Frandsen PB
- Subjects
- Animals, Insect Proteins genetics, Opsins genetics, Evolution, Molecular, Insecta genetics, Phylogeny
- Abstract
Insects have evolved complex and diverse visual systems in which light-sensing protein molecules called "opsins" couple with a chromophore to form photopigments. Insect photopigments group into three major gene families based on wavelength sensitivity: long wavelength (LW), short wavelength (SW), and ultraviolet wavelength (UV). In this study, we identified 123 opsin sequences from whole-genome assemblies across 25 caddisfly species (Insecta: Trichoptera). We discovered the LW opsins have the most diversity across species and form two separate clades in the opsin gene tree. Conversely, we observed a loss of the SW opsin in half of the trichopteran species in this study, which might be associated with the fact that caddisflies are active during low-light conditions. Lastly, we found a single copy of the UV opsin in all the species in this study, with one exception: Athripsodes cinereus has two copies of the UV opsin and resides within a clade of caddisflies with colorful wing patterns., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.)
- Published
- 2024
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