University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Molecular evolution of a superfamily of chemoreceptors in Musca domestica and Ceratitis capitata

Giers, Sarah Diane

Content Files
GIERS-THESIS-2016.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/92780

Description

Title
Molecular evolution of a superfamily of chemoreceptors in Musca domestica and Ceratitis capitata
Author(s)
Giers, Sarah Diane
Issue Date
2016-07-08
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
  • Berlocher, Stewart H.
  • Robertson, Hugh M.
Committee Member(s)
Whitfield, Charles
Department of Study
Entomology
Discipline
Entomology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Date of Ingest
2016-11-10T17:50:17Z
Keyword(s)
  • chemoreceptors
  • Musca domestica
  • Ceratitis capitata
  • odor receptors
  • gustatory receptors
  • agricultural pest
  • evolution
  • genome annotation
  • genome
Abstract
The house fly (Musca domestica) and the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) are two important pest species. While both are generalists, the first is a major vector of a variety of human and livestock disease, while the second is a broadly polyphagous herbivore and important crop pest. Each must be able to navigate a complex set of chemical cues to gain access to resources. While it is relatively-well studied in Drosophila species, less is known about chemoreception in other dipterans. Generalist species of Drosophila retain higher diversity of chemoreceptor genes as compared to the rapid loss characteristic of specialists, but the same may not be true of other dipterans. Here the odorant receptor subfamily in M. domestica and the gustatory receptor subfamily in C. capitata were annotated, and phylogenic analyses were performed. Compared with Drosophila melanogaster, the M. domestica odor receptor repertoire is considerably larger with 84 models in the gene set, plus OrCo (59 in D. melanogaster), and contains expansion via complicated relationships of duplications in some lineages and losses in others. C. capitata shows a similar pattern of expansion within its gustatory receptor repertoire, with 81 protein models, which is intermediate between D. melanogaster (68 protein models) and M. domestica (103 protein models). The many species-specific expansions are the likely result of major changes in the chemosensory ability and ecology of each species. Similarity of ecologies between species appears to be a major driver for gene family evolution. Further exploration of these losses and expansions might ultimately lead to innovations in pest management and provide a base for which to further understand evolution of specialist versus generalist dipterans.
Graduation Semester
2016-08
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/92780
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2016 Sarah Giers

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