Most cited article - PubMed ID 26632352
Regulation of Isoprenoid Pheromone Biosynthesis in Bumblebee Males
Fatty acyl reductases (FARs) are involved in the biosynthesis of fatty alcohols that serve a range of biological roles. Insects typically harbor numerous FAR gene family members. While some FARs are involved in pheromone biosynthesis, the biological significance of the large number of FARs in insect genomes remains unclear. Using bumble bee (Bombini) FAR expression analysis and functional characterization, hymenopteran FAR gene tree reconstruction, and inspection of transposable elements (TEs) in the genomic environment of FARs, we uncovered a massive expansion of the FAR gene family in Hymenoptera, presumably facilitated by TEs. The expansion occurred in the common ancestor of bumble bees and stingless bees (Meliponini). We found that bumble bee FARs from the expanded FAR-A ortholog group contribute to the species-specific pheromone composition. Our results indicate that expansion and functional diversification of the FAR gene family played a key role in the evolution of pheromone communication in Hymenoptera.
- Keywords
- Bombus lapidarius, Bombus lucorum, Bombus terrestris, evolutionary biology, fatty acyl reductases, gene family evolution, transposable elements,
- MeSH
- Aldehyde Oxidoreductases genetics metabolism MeSH
- Pheromones biosynthesis genetics metabolism MeSH
- Phylogeny * MeSH
- Hymenoptera enzymology MeSH
- Fatty Alcohols metabolism MeSH
- Amino Acid Sequence genetics MeSH
- DNA Transposable Elements MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Aldehyde Oxidoreductases MeSH
- Pheromones MeSH
- Fatty Alcohols MeSH
- DNA Transposable Elements MeSH