The smell of speciation: chemical signalling in butterfly diversification

将基因组数据与对蝴蝶的生态和行为观察相结合，为研究物种形成的基因组后果提供了一个极好的机会。该类群的种间翅型变异已被研究得特别深入，但我们对它们的化学交流知之甚少，而化学交流在性别交流和物种识别中也发挥着重要作用。在性信号传递中的一种关键化合物最近在H.Melpomene中被发现，以及它在配偶选择中的作用的电生理学证据。此外，通过最近的杂交试验和基因组(QTL)分析，为研究黑麦草和苏铁的信息素差异的遗传基础奠定了基础。这个项目将研究男性的信息素差异以及相应的女性偏好。这项工作将包括对目前正在进行的基因组分析进行后续实验，包括使用CRISPR进行基因操作实验，以测试候选翼信息素基因的功能。此外，还将对产生的雄性突变体进行行为分析，以研究特定基因在交配行为中的作用。此外，我还将培育更多的受控杂交，并对杂交蝴蝶翅膀样本进行化学分析，以确定重要的化合物。然后，我将使用合成的化合物进行进一步的行为测试，以研究特定化合物在女性偏好中的作用。

The integration of genomic data with ecological and behavioural observations of the Heliconius butterflies provides anexcellent opportunity to study the genomic consequences of speciation. Interspecific wing pattern variation in this grouphas been particularly well studied but we know much less about their chemical communication, which also plays animportant role in sexual communication and species recognition. A key compound in sexual signalling has recently beenidentified in H. melpomene along with electrophysiological evidence for its role in mate choice. In addition, foundationshave been laid for investigating the genetic basis of pheromonal differences between H. melpomene and H. cydno byrecent crossing experiments and genomic (QTL) analysis. This project will study such pheromonal differences in malesand the corresponding female preferences. The work will involve experiments to follow up on the genomic analysiscurrently underway, including genetic manipulation experiments using CRISPR to test the function of candidate wingpheromone genes. This will be complemented by behavioural assays with resulting male mutants to study the role ofspecific genes in mating behaviour. In addition, I will raise additional controlled crosses and conduct chemical analysis ofhybrid butterfly wing samples to identify important compounds. I will then conduct further behavioural assays usingsynthesised compounds to study the role of specific compounds in female preference.