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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Expansions and contractions in gene families of independently-evolved blood-feeding insects

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Author(s):
Freitas, Lucas [1, 2] ; Nery, Mariana F. [2]
Total Authors: 2
Affiliation:
[1] Queen Mary Univ London, Sch Biol & Chem Sci, London - England
[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Genet Evolucao Microbiol & Imunol, Lab Genom Evolut, Rua Bertrand Russell S-N, Cidade Univ, Bloco H, Campinas, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: BMC Evolutionary Biology; v. 20, n. 1 JUL 17 2020.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Background The blood-feeding behavior evolved multiple times in Insecta lineages and it represents an excellent opportunity to study patterns of convergent molecular evolution regarding this habit. In insects the expansion of some gene families is linked with blood-feeding behavior, but a wide study comparing the evolution of these gene families among different lineages is still missing. Here we gathered genomic data from six independently-evolved hematophagous lineages, aiming to identify convergent expansions and/or contractions of gene families in hematophagous lineages of insects. Results We found four rapidly evolving gene families shared by at least two hematophagous independently-evolved lineages, including a heat-shock and a chemosensory protein. On the expression of these four rapidly evolving gene families we found more genes expressed in mated individuals compared with virgin individuals in rapidly-expanded families and more genes expressed in non-blood-feeding individuals compared with blood-feeding individuals in rapidly-contracted families. Conclusion Our results reveal a new set of candidate genes to be explored in further analysis to help the development of new strategies to deal with blood-feeding vectors and also presents a new perspective to study the evolution of hematophagy identifying convergent molecular patterns. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 17/25058-2 - Adaptive convergent evolution of hematophagy-related genes in Insecta
Grantee:Lucas Araujo Freitas
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
FAPESP's process: 18/19682-8 - Theoretical aspects of adaptive and convergent molecular evolution and their applications in comparative genomics
Grantee:Lucas Araujo Freitas
Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
FAPESP's process: 15/18269-1 - Using comparative genomics to understand convergent evolution of mammals: tracking the molecular footprints of the marine and riverine environment colonisation
Grantee:Mariana Freitas Nery
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants