Transposable element insertions are associated with batesian mimicry in the pantropical butterfly Hypolimnas misippus

Hypolimnas misippus is a Batesian mimic of the toxic African Queen butterfly (Danaus chrysippus). Female H. misippus butterflies use two major wing patterning loci (M and A) to imitate three color morphs of D. chrysippus found in different regions of Africa. In this study, we examine the evolution of the M locus and identify it as an example of adaptive atavism. This phenomenon involves a morphological reversion to an ancestral character that results in an adaptive phenotype. We show that H. misippus has re-evolved an ancestral wing pattern present in other Hypolimnas species, repurposing it for Batesian mimicry of a D. chrysippus morph. Using haplotagging, a linked-read sequencing technology, and our new analytical tool, Wrath, we discover two large transposable element insertions located at the M locus and establish that these insertions are present in the dominant allele responsible for producing mimetic phenotype. By conducting a comparative analysis involving additional Hypolimnas species, we demonstrate that the dominant allele is derived. This suggests that, in the derived allele, the transposable elements disrupt a cis-regulatory element, leading to the reversion to an ancestral phenotype that is then utilized for Batesian mimicry of a distinct model, a different morph of D. chrysippus. Our findings present a compelling instance of convergent evolution and adaptive atavism, in which the same pattern element has independently evolved multiple times in Hypolimnas butterflies, repeatedly playing a role in Batesian mimicry of diverse model species

Chondrogenic potential of macroporous biodegradable cryogels based on synthetic poly(alpha-amino acids)

In this study, the potential of highly porous hydrogels based on biodegradable synthetic poly(alpha-amino acids) to support proliferation and chondrogenesis of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) was investigated. Covalently crosslinked gels with permanent pores were formed under cryogenic conditions by free-radical copolymerization of poly[N-5-(2-hydroxyethyl)-L-glutamine-stat-N-5-(2-methacryloyl-oxy-ethyl)- L-glutamine] (PHEG-MA) with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and N-propargyl methacrylamide (PrMAAm) as minor co-monomers. PrMAAm provided alkyne groups for modifying the gels with cell-supporting moieties (RGDS peptides) by the azide-alkyne "click"-reaction. Two types of gels with different compressive moduli were prepared. Each type was modified with two different concentrations of RGDS peptide. X-ray computed nanotomography (nanoCT) was used to visualize and analyze the 3D-structure of the cryogels. It was shown that modifying the PHEG-MA cryogels within the range of RGDS concentrations examined here had a positive effect on the proliferation of hDPSCs. Immunofluorescence staining for collagen type 2 and aggrecan proved that there was differentiation of hDPSCs into chondrocytes

Transposable element insertions are associated with Batesian mimicry in the pantropical butterfly Hypolimnas misippus.

Hypolimnas misippus is a Batesian mimic of the toxic African Queen butterfly (Danaus chrysippus). Female H. misippus butterflies use two major wing patterning loci (M and A) to imitate three colour morphs of D. chrysippus found in different regions of Africa. In this study, we examine the evolution of the M locus and identify it as an example of adaptive atavism. This phenomenon involves a morphological reversion to an ancestral character that results in an adaptive phenotype. We show that H. misippus has re-evolved an ancestral wing pattern present in other Hypolimnas species, repurposing it for Batesian mimicry of a D. chrysippus morph. Using haplotagging, a linked-read sequencing technology, and our new analytical tool, Wrath, we discover two large transposable element (TE) insertions located at the M locus and establish that these insertions are present in the dominant allele responsible for producing mimetic phenotype. By conducting a comparative analysis involving additional Hypolimnas species, we demonstrate that the dominant allele is derived. This suggests that, in the derived allele, the TEs disrupt a cis-regulatory element, leading to the reversion to an ancestral phenotype that is then utilized for Batesian mimicry of a distinct model, a different morph of D. chrysippus. Our findings present a compelling instance of convergent evolution and adaptive atavism, in which the same pattern element has independently evolved multiple times in Hypolimnas butterflies, repeatedly playing a role in Batesian mimicry of diverse model species

Transposable Element Insertions Are Associated with Batesian Mimicry in the Pantropical Butterfly Hypolimnas misippus.

Acknowledgements: This project would have not been possible without the help of Eunice Katili and Charo Ngumbao at Kipepeo Project in Malindi, Kenya, who were crucial in collecting samples. A.O. thanks Gergely Flamich for the numerous discussions about Wrath. A.O. thanks the Cambridge Trust and St. John's College for their support.Funder: Varley-Gradwell Travelling Fellowship in Insect Ecology 2021Funder: American Society of Naturalists Student Research AwardFunder: Lepidopterists’ Society Ron Leuschner Memorial Fund for ResearchFunder: Cambridge Trust; DOI: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003343Funder: European Research ScholarshipFunder: St. John's College; DOI: https://doi.org/10.13039/100010937Funder: Benefactors’ ScholarshipHypolimnas misippus is a Batesian mimic of the toxic African Queen butterfly (Danaus chrysippus). Female H. misippus butterflies use two major wing patterning loci (M and A) to imitate three color morphs of D. chrysippus found in different regions of Africa. In this study, we examine the evolution of the M locus and identify it as an example of adaptive atavism. This phenomenon involves a morphological reversion to an ancestral character that results in an adaptive phenotype. We show that H. misippus has re-evolved an ancestral wing pattern present in other Hypolimnas species, repurposing it for Batesian mimicry of a D. chrysippus morph. Using haplotagging, a linked-read sequencing technology, and our new analytical tool, Wrath, we discover two large transposable element insertions located at the M locus and establish that these insertions are present in the dominant allele responsible for producing mimetic phenotype. By conducting a comparative analysis involving additional Hypolimnas species, we demonstrate that the dominant allele is derived. This suggests that, in the derived allele, the transposable elements disrupt a cis-regulatory element, leading to the reversion to an ancestral phenotype that is then utilized for Batesian mimicry of a distinct model, a different morph of D. chrysippus. Our findings present a compelling instance of convergent evolution and adaptive atavism, in which the same pattern element has independently evolved multiple times in Hypolimnas butterflies, repeatedly playing a role in Batesian mimicry of diverse model species