Evolution of the gene network underlying wing polyphenism in ants

被引：339

作者：

Abouheif, E ^{[1
]}

Wray, GA ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] Duke Univ, Dept Biol, Durham, NC 27708 USA

来源：

SCIENCE | 2002年 / 297卷 / 5579期

关键词：

D O I：

10.1126/science.1071468

中图分类号：

O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];

学科分类号：

07 [理学]; 0710 [生物学]; 09 [农学];

摘要：

Wing polyphenism in ants evolved once, 125 million years ago, and has been a key to their amazing evolutionary success. We characterized the expression of several genes within the network underlying the wing primordia of reproductive ( winged) and sterile ( wingless) ant castes. We show that the expression of several genes within the network is conserved in the winged castes of four ant species, whereas points of interruption within the network in the wingless castes are evolutionarily labile. The simultaneous evolutionary lability and conservation of the network underlying wing development in ants may have played an important role in the morphological diversification of this group and may be a general feature of polyphenic development and evolution in plants and animals.

引用

页码：249 / 252

页数：5

共 31 条

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