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Hjelmen CE, Yuan Y, Parrott JJ, McGuane AS, Srivastav SP, Purcell AC, Pimsler ML, Sze SH, Tarone AM. Identification and Characterization of Small RNA Markers of Age in the Blow Fly Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Insects 2022; 13:948. [PMID: 36292896 PMCID: PMC9603907 DOI: 10.3390/insects13100948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Blow fly development is important in decomposition ecology, agriculture, and forensics. Much of the impact of these species is from immature samples, thus knowledge of their development is important to enhance or ameliorate their effects. One application of this information is the estimation of immature insect age to provide temporal information for death investigations. While traditional markers of age such as stage and size are generally accurate, they lack precision in later developmental stages. We used miRNA sequencing to measure miRNA expression, throughout development, of the secondary screwworm, Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and identified 217 miRNAs present across the samples. Ten were identified to be significantly differentially expressed in larval samples and seventeen were found to be significantly differentially expressed in intrapuparial samples. Twenty-eight miRNAs were identified to be differentially expressed between sexes. Expression patterns of two miRNAs, miR-92b and bantam, were qPCR-validated in intrapuparial samples; these and likely food-derived miRNAs appear to be stable markers of age in C. macellaria. Our results support the use of miRNAs for developmental markers of age and suggest further investigations across species and under a range of abiotic and biotic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl E. Hjelmen
- Department of Biology, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT 84058, USA
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Ye Yuan
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jonathan J. Parrott
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale, AZ 85306, USA
| | | | - Satyam P. Srivastav
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Amanda C. Purcell
- Centre for Forensic Science, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
| | - Meaghan L. Pimsler
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Sing-Hoi Sze
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Aaron M. Tarone
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Pimsler ML, Hjelmen CE, Jonika MM, Sharma A, Fu S, Bala M, Sze SH, Tomberlin JK, Tarone AM. Sexual Dimorphism in Growth Rate and Gene Expression Throughout Immature Development in Wild Type Chrysomya rufifacies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Macquart. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.696638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reliability of forensic entomology analyses to produce relevant information to a given case requires an understanding of the underlying arthropod population(s) of interest and the factors contributing to variability. Common traits for analyses are affected by a variety of genetic and environmental factors. One trait of interest in forensic investigations has been species-specific temperature-dependent growth rates. Recent work indicates sexual dimorphism may be important in the analysis of such traits and related genetic markers of age. However, studying sexual dimorphic patterns of gene expression throughout immature development in wild-type insects can be difficult due to a lack of genetic tools, and the limits of most sex-determination mechanisms. Chrysomya rufifacies, however, is a particularly tractable system to address these issues as it has a monogenic sex determination system, meaning females have only a single-sex of offspring throughout their life. Using modified breeding procedures (to ensure single-female egg clutches) and transcriptomics, we investigated sexual dimorphism in development rate and gene expression. Females develop slower than males (9 h difference from egg to eclosion respectively) even at 30°C, with an average egg-to-eclosion time of 225 h for males and 234 h for females. Given that many key genes rely on sex-specific splicing for the development and maintenance of sexually dimorphic traits, we used a transcriptomic approach to identify different expression of gene splice variants. We find that 98.4% of assembled nodes exhibited sex-specific, stage-specific, to sex-by-stage specific patterns of expression. However, the greatest signal in the expression data is differentiation by developmental stage, indicating that sexual dimorphism in gene expression during development may not be investigatively important and that markers of age may be relatively independent of sex. Subtle differences in these gene expression patterns can be detected as early as 4 h post-oviposition, and 12 of these nodes demonstrate homology with key Drosophila sex determination genes, providing clues regarding the distinct sex determination mechanism of C. rufifacies. Finally, we validated the transcriptome analyses through qPCR and have identified five genes that are developmentally informative within and between sexes.
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Cuttiford L, Pimsler ML, Heo CC, Zheng L, Karunaratne I, Trissini G, Tarone AM, Lambiase S, Cammack JA, Tomberlin JK. Evaluation of Development Datasets for Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) for Estimating the Time of Placement of Human and Swine Remains in Texas, USA. J Med Entomol 2021; 58:1654-1662. [PMID: 33970239 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A basic tenet of forensic entomology is development data of an insect can be used to predict the time of colonization (TOC) by insect specimens collected from remains, and this prediction is related to the time of death and/or time of placement (TOP). However, few datasets have been evaluated to determine their accuracy or precision. The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) is recognized as an insect of forensic importance. This study examined the accuracy and precision of several development datasets for the black soldier fly by estimating the TOP of five sets of human and three sets of swine remains in San Marcos and College Station, TX, respectively. Data generated from this study indicate only one of these datasets consistently (time-to-prepupae 52%; time-to-eclosion 75%) produced TOP estimations that occurred within a day of the actual TOP of the remains. It is unknown if the precolonization interval (PreCI) of this species is long, but it has been observed that the species can colonize within 6 d after death. This assumption remains untested by validation studies. Accounting for this PreCI improved accuracy for the time-to-prepupae group, but reduced accuracy in the time-to-eclosion group. The findings presented here highlight a need for detailed, forensic-based development data for the black soldier fly that can reliably and accurately be used in casework. Finally, this study outlines the need for a basic understanding of the timing of resource utilization (i.e., duration of the PreCI) for forensically relevant taxa so that reasonable corrections may be made to TOC as related to minimum postmortem interval (mPMI) estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lue Cuttiford
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Chong Chin Heo
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Le Zheng
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Gabriele Trissini
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Aaron M Tarone
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Simonetta Lambiase
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Jonathan A Cammack
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Pimsler ML, Oyen KJ, Herndon JD, Jackson JM, Strange JP, Dillon ME, Lozier JD. Biogeographic parallels in thermal tolerance and gene expression variation under temperature stress in a widespread bumble bee. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17063. [PMID: 33051510 PMCID: PMC7553916 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73391-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Global temperature changes have emphasized the need to understand how species adapt to thermal stress across their ranges. Genetic mechanisms may contribute to variation in thermal tolerance, providing evidence for how organisms adapt to local environments. We determine physiological thermal limits and characterize genome-wide transcriptional changes at these limits in bumble bees using laboratory-reared Bombus vosnesenskii workers. We analyze bees reared from latitudinal (35.7-45.7°N) and altitudinal (7-2154 m) extremes of the species' range to correlate thermal tolerance and gene expression among populations from different climates. We find that critical thermal minima (CTMIN) exhibit strong associations with local minimums at the location of queen origin, while critical thermal maximum (CTMAX) was invariant among populations. Concordant patterns are apparent in gene expression data, with regional differentiation following cold exposure, and expression shifts invariant among populations under high temperatures. Furthermore, we identify several modules of co-expressed genes that tightly correlate with critical thermal limits and temperature at the region of origin. Our results reveal that local adaptation in thermal limits and gene expression may facilitate cold tolerance across a species range, whereas high temperature responses are likely constrained, both of which may have implications for climate change responses of bumble bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan L Pimsler
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA.
| | - Kennan J Oyen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - James D Herndon
- USDA-ARS Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Jason M Jackson
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA
| | - James P Strange
- USDA-ARS Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 44691, USA
| | - Michael E Dillon
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Lozier
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA.
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Abstract
The production of male and female offspring is often determined by the presence of specific sex chromosomes which control sex-specific expression, and sex chromosomes evolve through reduced recombination and specialized gene content. Here we present the genomes of Chrysomya rufifacies, a monogenic blow fly (females produce female or male offspring, exclusively) by separately sequencing and assembling each type of female and the male. The genomes (> 25X coverage) do not appear to have any sex-linked Muller F elements (typical for many Diptera) and exhibit little differentiation between groups supporting the morphological assessments of C. rufifacies homomorphic chromosomes. Males in this species are associated with a unimodal coverage distribution while females exhibit bimodal coverage distributions, suggesting a potential difference in genomic architecture. The presence of the individual-sex draft genomes herein provides new clues regarding the origination and evolution of the diverse sex-determining mechanisms observed within Diptera. Additional genomic analysis of sex chromosomes and sex-determining genes of other blow flies will allow a refined evolutionary understanding of how flies with a typical X/Y heterogametic amphogeny (male and female offspring in similar ratios) sex determination systems evolved into one with a dominant factor that results in single sex progeny in a chromosomally monomorphic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne A. Andere
- Department of Biology, Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN USA
| | - Meaghan L. Pimsler
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL USA
| | - Aaron M. Tarone
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA
| | - Christine J. Picard
- Department of Biology, Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN USA
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Azmiera N, Mariana A, Pimsler ML, Heo CC. Review of Mites Found on Various Animal Hosts and at Different Localities in Malaysia. J Med Entomol 2020; 57:1354-1363. [PMID: 32440683 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mite biodiversity and distribution in Malaysia is currently understudied. Most previous works on Malaysian Acari have focused on pest organisms of medical, veterinary, and agricultural concern, with a few recent studies centered on mites in forensic contexts. Previous literatures have targeted collection sites in forest reserves and/or mountains in either Peninsular or Malaysian Borneo, though the state of Sarawak had the least publications related to mite species descriptions despite having the highest number of nature parks of any state in the country. Most publications focused on the three states Selangor, Pahang and Sabah. Most of the mite species reported were from mammals (66.3%), with fewer species from birds (21.7%), arthropods (11.2%), and reptiles (0.8%). We believe that further work on the systematic documentation of mite species throughout Malaysia is necessary as it could generate useful tools, such as the use of mites as biogeographical markers or as forensic indicators. Therefore, this review catalogs mite species that have been documented in or on animal hosts in Malaysia and serves as a foundation for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Azmiera
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - A Mariana
- Unit of Acarology, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Setia Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - M L Pimsler
- Department of Biological Science, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
| | - C C Heo
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute for Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), University Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
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Jackson JM, Pimsler ML, Oyen KJ, Strange JP, Dillon ME, Lozier JD. Local adaptation across a complex bioclimatic landscape in two montane bumble bee species. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:920-939. [PMID: 32031739 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Understanding evolutionary responses to variation in temperature and precipitation across species ranges is of fundamental interest given ongoing climate change. The importance of temperature and precipitation for multiple aspects of bumble bee (Bombus) biology, combined with large geographic ranges that expose populations to diverse environmental pressures, make these insects well-suited for studying local adaptation. Here, we analyzed genome-wide sequence data from two widespread bumble bees, Bombus vosnesenskii and Bombus vancouverensis, using multiple environmental association analysis methods to investigate climate adaptation across latitude and altitude. The strongest signatures of selection were observed in B. vancouverensis, but despite unique responses between species for most loci, we detected several shared responses. Genes relating to neural and neuromuscular function and ion transport were especially evident with respect to temperature variables, while genes relating to cuticle formation, tracheal and respiratory system development, and homeostasis were associated with precipitation variables. Our data thus suggest that adaptive responses for tolerating abiotic variation are likely to be complex, but that several parallels among species can emerge even for these complex traits and landscapes. Results provide the framework for future work into mechanisms of thermal and desiccation tolerance in bumble bees and a set of genomic targets that might be monitored for future conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Jackson
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Meaghan L Pimsler
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Kennan J Oyen
- Department of Zoology & Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - James P Strange
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Michael E Dillon
- Department of Zoology & Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Lozier
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
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Pimsler ML, Sze S, Saenz S, Fu S, Tomberlin JK, Tarone AM. Gene expression correlates of facultative predation in the blow fly Chrysomya rufifacies (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8690-8701. [PMID: 31410272 PMCID: PMC6686648 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Effects of intraguild predation (IGP) on omnivores and detritivores are relatively understudied when compared to work on predator guilds. Functional genetic work in IGP is even more limited, but its application can help answer a range of questions related to ultimate and proximate causes of this behavior. Here, we integrate behavioral assays and transcriptomic analysis of facultative predation in a blow fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) to evaluate the prevalence, effect, and correlated gene expression of facultative predation by the invasive species Chrysomya rufifacies. Field work observing donated human cadavers indicated facultative predation by C. rufifacies on the native blow fly Cochliomyia macellaria was rare under undisturbed conditions, owing in part to spatial segregation between species. Laboratory assays under conditions of starvation showed predation had a direct fitness benefit (i.e., survival) to the predator. As a genome is not available for C. rufifacies, a de novo transcriptome was developed and annotated using sequence similarity to Drosophila melanogaster. Under a variety of assembly parameters, several genes were identified as being differentially expressed between predators and nonpredators of this species, including genes involved in cell-to-cell signaling, osmotic regulation, starvation responses, and dopamine regulation. Results of this work were integrated to develop a model of the processes and genetic regulation controlling facultative predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan L. Pimsler
- Department of EntomologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlabamaTuscaloosaAlabamaUSA
| | - Sing‐Hoi Sze
- Department of Computer Science and EngineeringTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Sunday Saenz
- Department of EntomologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
- Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Government OfficeTulsaOklahomaUSA
| | - Shuhua Fu
- Department of Biochemistry & BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
- Department of Developmental BiologyWashington University School of Medicine in St. LouisSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | | | - Aaron M. Tarone
- Department of EntomologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
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9
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Jackson JM, Pimsler ML, Oyen KJ, Koch‐Uhuad JB, Herndon JD, Strange JP, Dillon ME, Lozier JD. Distance, elevation and environment as drivers of diversity and divergence in bumble bees across latitude and altitude. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2926-2942. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason M. Jackson
- Department of Biological Sciences The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Alabama
| | - Meaghan L. Pimsler
- Department of Biological Sciences The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Alabama
| | - Kennan Jeannet Oyen
- Department of Zoology & Physiology and Program in Ecology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming
| | - Jonathan B. Koch‐Uhuad
- Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science Graduate Program Department of Biology University of Hawaii at Hilo Hilo Hawaii
| | - James D. Herndon
- USDA‐ARS Pollinating Insect Research Unit Utah State University Logan Utah
| | - James P. Strange
- USDA‐ARS Pollinating Insect Research Unit Utah State University Logan Utah
| | - Michael E. Dillon
- Department of Zoology & Physiology and Program in Ecology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming
| | - Jeffrey D. Lozier
- Department of Biological Sciences The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Alabama
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10
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Abstract
Background With increased availability of de novo assembly algorithms, it is feasible to study entire transcriptomes of non-model organisms. While algorithms are available that are specifically designed for performing transcriptome assembly from high-throughput sequencing data, they are very memory-intensive, limiting their applications to small data sets with few libraries. Results We develop a transcriptome assembly algorithm that recovers alternatively spliced isoforms and expression levels while utilizing as many RNA-Seq libraries as possible that contain hundreds of gigabases of data. New techniques are developed so that computations can be performed on a computing cluster with moderate amount of physical memory. Conclusions Our strategy minimizes memory consumption while simultaneously obtaining comparable or improved accuracy over existing algorithms. It provides support for incremental updates of assemblies when new libraries become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sing-Hoi Sze
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, 77843, TX, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, 77843, TX, USA.
| | - Meaghan L Pimsler
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, 77843, TX, USA
| | - Jeffery K Tomberlin
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, 77843, TX, USA
| | - Corbin D Jones
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Aaron M Tarone
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, 77843, TX, USA
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Pimsler ML, Jackson JM, Lozier JD. Population genomics reveals a candidate gene involved in bumble bee pigmentation. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3406-3413. [PMID: 28515876 PMCID: PMC5433978 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in bumble bee color patterns is well‐documented within and between species. Identifying the genetic mechanisms underlying such variation may be useful in revealing evolutionary forces shaping rapid phenotypic diversification. The widespread North American species Bombus bifarius exhibits regional variation in abdominal color forms, ranging from red‐banded to black‐banded phenotypes and including geographically and phenotypically intermediate forms. Identifying genomic regions linked to this variation has been complicated by strong, near species level, genome‐wide differentiation between red‐ and black‐banded forms. Here, we instead focus on the closely related black‐banded and intermediate forms that both belong to the subspecies B. bifarius nearcticus. We analyze an RNA sequencing (RNAseq) data set and identify a cluster of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within one gene, Xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase‐like, that exhibit highly unusual differentiation compared to the rest of the sequenced genome. Homologs of this gene contribute to pigmentation in other insects, and results thus represent a strong candidate for investigating the genetic basis of pigment variation in B. bifarius and other bumble bee mimicry complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan L Pimsler
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alabama Tuscaloosa AL USA
| | - Jason M Jackson
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alabama Tuscaloosa AL USA
| | - Jeffrey D Lozier
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alabama Tuscaloosa AL USA
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12
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Pimsler ML, Owings CG, Sanford MR, OConnor BM, Teel PD, Mohr RM, Tomberlin JK. Association of Myianoetus muscarum (Acari: Histiostomatidae) With Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp) (Diptera: Muscidae) on Human Remains. J Med Entomol 2016; 53:290-295. [PMID: 26740477 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp) (Diptera: Muscidae) was identified during the course of three indoor medicolegal forensic entomology investigations in the state of Texas, one in 2011 from Hayes County, TX, and two in 2015 from Harris County, TX. In all cases, mites were found in association with the sample and subsequently identified as Myianoetus muscarum (L., 1758) (Acariformes: Histiostomatidae). This report represents the first records of a mite associated with S. nudiseta in the continental United States. In particular, this association is believed to be of potential future value in forensic investigations, as it lends new insight into the community structure of colonizers on human remains in indoor environments.
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13
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Pimsler ML, Pape T, Johnston JS, Wharton RA, Parrott JJ, Restuccia D, Sanford MR, Tomberlin JK, Tarone AM. Structural and Genetic Investigation of the Egg and First-Instar Larva of an Egg-Laying Population of Blaesoxipha plinthopyga (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), a Species of Forensic Importance. J Med Entomol 2014; 51:1283-1295. [PMID: 26309319 DOI: 10.1603/me14029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Flies in the family Sarcophagidae incubate their eggs and are known to be ovoviviparous (i.e., ovolarviparous), but a laboratory-maintained colony of Blaesoxipha plinthopyga (Wiedemann) deposited clutches of viable eggs over 10 generations. A description of the egg and first-instar larva of this species is provided along with genetic data (genome size and cytochrome oxidase I sequences). The egg is similar to previously described eggs of other Sarcophagidae but differs in the configuration of the micropyle. In the first-instar larva, the oral ridges are much more developed than has been described for other species. B. plinthopyga has forensic importance, and the present descriptive information is critical for proper case management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan L Pimsler
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
| | - Thomas Pape
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Robert A Wharton
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | | | | | | | | | - Aaron M Tarone
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
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