Gene expression differentials driven by mass rearing and artificial selection in black soldier fly colonies

The micro‐evolutionary forces that shape genetic diversity during domestication have been assessed in many plant and animal systems. However, the impact of these processes on gene expression, and consequent functional adaptation to artificial environments, remains under‐investigated. In this study,...

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Published in:Insect molecular biology 2023-04, Vol.32 (2), p.86-105
Main Authors: Hull, Kelvin L., Greenwood, Matthew P., Lloyd, Melissa, Bester‐van der Merwe, Aletta E., Rhode, Clint
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
adaption
Animals
Artificial environments
Biological Evolution
Colonies
development
Diptera - genetics
Domestication
Evolution
Gene Expression
Genetic diversity
Hermetia illucens
insect farming
Larva - metabolism
Larvae
Mass rearing
Metabolism
Multidimensional scaling
Phenotype
Selective breeding
Subgroups
Transcriptomes
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Summary:The micro‐evolutionary forces that shape genetic diversity during domestication have been assessed in many plant and animal systems. However, the impact of these processes on gene expression, and consequent functional adaptation to artificial environments, remains under‐investigated. In this study, whole‐transcriptome dynamics associated with the early stages of domestication of the black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, were assessed. Differential gene expression (DGE) was evaluated in relation to (i) generational time within the cultured environment (F2 vs. F3), and (ii) two selection strategies [no artificial selective pressure (NS); and selection for greater larval mass (SEL)]. RNA‐seq was conducted on 5th instar BSF larvae (n = 36), representing equal proportions of the NS (F2 = 9; F3 = 9) and SEL (F2 = 9; F3 = 9) groups. A multidimensional scaling plot revealed greater gene expression variability within the NS and F2 subgroups, while the SEL group clustered separately with lower levels of variation. Comparisons between generations revealed 898 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; FDR‐corrected p 
ISSN:0962-1075
1365-2583
DOI:10.1111/imb.12816