The developmental and genetic basis of male genitalia evolution in Drosophilids

IF 5.8 1区农林科学 Q1 BIOLOGY Current opinion in insect science Pub Date : 2025-01-27 DOI:10.1016/j.cois.2025.101335

Milton Urum, Ella Preger-Ben Noon

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Reproductive organs are among the most variable and rapidly evolving structures in the animal kingdom, probably due to sexual selection. In insects, the diverse morphology of male genitalia is often one of the few visible characteristics that can reliably distinguish closely related species, making it crucial for taxonomic classification. Consistent with this, males of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster and its closely related species display remarkable variations in genital morphology. This variation has made the male genitalia of Drosophilids an invaluable system for dissecting the genetic and developmental pathways responsible for morphological evolution, providing insights into how new structures emerge and how gene regulatory networks are co-opted during this process. In this review, we highlight recent studies that have uncovered developmental processes, novel genes, and regulatory networks that contribute to the morphogenesis and evolution of these extraordinary structures. These studies mark a significant advancement in our understanding of the mechanisms driving the evolution of complex organs.

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来源期刊

Current opinion in insect science BIOLOGYECOLOGYENTOMOLOGY-ECOLOGY

CiteScore

10.40

自引率

1.90%

发文量

113

期刊介绍： Current Opinion in Insect Science is a new systematic review journal that aims to provide specialists with a unique and educational platform to keep up–to–date with the expanding volume of information published in the field of Insect Science. As this is such a broad discipline, we have determined themed sections each of which is reviewed once a year. The following 11 areas are covered by Current Opinion in Insect Science. -Ecology -Insect genomics -Global Change Biology -Molecular Physiology (Including Immunity) -Pests and Resistance -Parasites, Parasitoids and Biological Control -Behavioural Ecology -Development and Regulation -Social Insects -Neuroscience -Vectors and Medical and Veterinary Entomology There is also a section that changes every year to reflect hot topics in the field. Section Editors, who are major authorities in their area, are appointed by the Editors of the journal. They divide their section into a number of topics, ensuring that the field is comprehensively covered and that all issues of current importance are emphasized. Section Editors commission articles from leading scientists on each topic that they have selected and the commissioned authors write short review articles in which they present recent developments in their subject, emphasizing the aspects that, in their opinion, are most important. In addition, they provide short annotations to the papers that they consider to be most interesting from all those published in their topic over the previous year.