Gene-by-temperature interactions and candidate plasticity genes for morphological traits in Drosophila melanogaster

PLoS One. 2013 Jul 30;8(7):e70851. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070851. Print 2013.

Abstract

Understanding the genetic architecture of any quantitative trait requires identifying the genes involved in its expression in different environmental conditions. This goal can be achieved by mutagenesis screens in genetically tractable model organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster. Temperature during ontogenesis is an important environmental factor affecting development and phenotypic variation in holometabolous insects. In spite of the importance of phenotypic plasticity and genotype by environment interaction (GEI) for fitness related traits, its genetic basis has remained elusive. In this context, we analyzed five different adult morphological traits (face width, head width, thorax length, wing size and wing shape) in 42 co-isogenic single P-element insertional lines of Drosophila melanogaster raised at 17°C and 25°C. Our analyses showed that all lines differed from the control for at least one trait in males or females at either temperature. However, no line showed those differences for all traits in both sexes and temperatures simultaneously. In this sense, the most pleiotropic candidate genes were CG34460, Lsd-2 and Spn. Our analyses also revealed extensive genetic variation for all the characters mostly indicated by strong GEIs. Further, our results indicate that GEIs were predominantly explained by changes in ranking order in all cases suggesting that a moderate number of genes are involved in the expression of each character at both temperatures. Most lines displayed a plastic response for at least one trait in either sex. In this regard, P-element insertions affecting plasticity of a large number of traits were associated to the candidate genes Btk29A, CG43340, Drak and jim. Further studies will help to elucidate the relevance of these genes on the morphogenesis of different body structures in natural populations of D. melanogaster.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Body Size / genetics
  • Drosophila melanogaster / anatomy & histology*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / genetics*
  • Female
  • Gene-Environment Interaction*
  • Genotype
  • Male
  • Morphogenesis / genetics*
  • Mutagenesis
  • Mutation
  • Phenotype
  • Quantitative Trait, Heritable*
  • Sex Factors
  • Temperature*
  • Wings, Animal / anatomy & histology
  • Wings, Animal / pathology

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the University of Buenos Aires (grants UBACyT 20020100300039 and UBACyT 20020100100482) and the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (grant PIP 11220080102042). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.