New paper on host adaptation in seed beetles

CmaculatusFinalFemale

Our new paper on the genomic basis of host-plant adaptation in the seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus is out now. In this study, we combined population-genomic analyses of evolve-and-resequence experiments, genome-wide association mapping of performance traits, and analyses of gene expression to shed light on how these beetles adapt to and persist on a very low-quality host (lentils). Many factors are involved, including detoxification genes, such as cytochrome P450s and beta-glucosidase. This work was led by (current and former) graduate students in the group, Alex Rego and Sam Chaturvedi, and is part of a special issue on the “Genetic basis of phenotypic variation in Drosophila and other insects”. Check it out along with the full special issue.

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