Abstract
How behavioural diversity emerged in evolution is an unexplored subject in biology. To tackle this problem, genes and circuits for a behaviour need to be determined in different species for phylogenetic comparisons. The recently developed clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated protein9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system made such a challenge possible by providing the means to induce mutations in a gene of interest in any organism. Aiming at elucidating diversification in genetic and neural networks for courtship behaviour, we attempted to generate a genetic tool kit in Drosophila subobscura, a nonmodel species distantly related to the genetic model Drosophila melanogaster. Here we report the generation of yellow (y) and white mutations with the aid of the CRISPR/Cas9 system, and the rescue of the y mutant phenotype by germline transformation of the newly established y mutant fly line with a y+-marked piggyBac vector. This successful mutagenesis and transformation in D. subobscura open up an avenue for comprehensive genetic analyses of higher functions in this and other nonmodel Drosophila species, representing a key step toward systematic comparisons of genes and circuitries underlying behaviour amongst species.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 355-361 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Insect Molecular Biology |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2016 Aug 1 |
Keywords
- genome editing
- germline transformation
- pigmentation mutations
- visible marker
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Insect Science