Shen Tian 田申
@tianshenbio.bsky.social
RNA｜evolutionary innovations
We found a novel promoter of a Hox gene promoting adaptive temperature sensitivities across a large clade of butterflies. This highlights the essential roles of novel cis-regulatory elements in fueling adaptations on a macroevolutionary scale. 8/9
October 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
We found a novel promoter of a Hox gene promoting adaptive temperature sensitivities across a large clade of butterflies. This highlights the essential roles of novel cis-regulatory elements in fueling adaptations on a macroevolutionary scale. 8/9
In B. anynana, disrupting this novel promoter reduced the butterfly’s ability to adjust eyespot size with temperature, showing that this genetic element contributed to the evolution of temperature-mediated eyespot size plasticity in satyrid butterflies. 7/9
October 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
In B. anynana, disrupting this novel promoter reduced the butterfly’s ability to adjust eyespot size with temperature, showing that this genetic element contributed to the evolution of temperature-mediated eyespot size plasticity in satyrid butterflies. 7/9
How is Antp activated in eyespots of a specific clade of butterflies? We found a genetic switch, a promoter, that evolved specifically in satyrid butterflies, and it activates Antp expression specifically in eyespot central cells. 6/9
October 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
How is Antp activated in eyespots of a specific clade of butterflies? We found a genetic switch, a promoter, that evolved specifically in satyrid butterflies, and it activates Antp expression specifically in eyespot central cells. 6/9
Disrupting Antp in two satyrid butterflies reduced eyespot size, especially when the insects were raised at warmer temperatures, confirming Antp’s role in boosting the levels of eyespot size plasticity. 5/9
October 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Disrupting Antp in two satyrid butterflies reduced eyespot size, especially when the insects were raised at warmer temperatures, confirming Antp’s role in boosting the levels of eyespot size plasticity. 5/9
From the tissue-specific transcriptomic data, we pinpointed a Hox gene Antennapedia (Antp), showing higher eyespot expression levels at warmer temperatures. Notbly, among all butterflies with eyespots, Antp is only activated in the eyespots of satyrid butterflies. 4/9
October 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
From the tissue-specific transcriptomic data, we pinpointed a Hox gene Antennapedia (Antp), showing higher eyespot expression levels at warmer temperatures. Notbly, among all butterflies with eyespots, Antp is only activated in the eyespots of satyrid butterflies. 4/9
How did satyrid butterflies evolve such temperature sensativities? In a model satyrid Bicyclus anynana, we profiled gene expression from both eyespot and non-eyespot developing wing tissues across two temperatures, using laser-microdissection. 3/9
October 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
How did satyrid butterflies evolve such temperature sensativities? In a model satyrid Bicyclus anynana, we profiled gene expression from both eyespot and non-eyespot developing wing tissues across two temperatures, using laser-microdissection. 3/9
Many tropical satyrid butterflies look strikingly different in different seasons. In the hot wet season, these butterflies develop large eyespots on their wings. In the cold dry season, these eyespots are small. This change enhances their survival in each season. 2/9
October 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Many tropical satyrid butterflies look strikingly different in different seasons. In the hot wet season, these butterflies develop large eyespots on their wings. In the cold dry season, these eyespots are small. This change enhances their survival in each season. 2/9
My main PhD work @monteirolab.bsky.social is now in @natecoevo.nature.com! We found a Hox gene promoter that helps butterflies🦋adjust their wing eyespots in response to seasonal temperatures🍃🍂, shedding light on the evolutionary origin of phenotypic plasticity. 1/9 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
October 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
My main PhD work @monteirolab.bsky.social is now in @natecoevo.nature.com! We found a Hox gene promoter that helps butterflies🦋adjust their wing eyespots in response to seasonal temperatures🍃🍂, shedding light on the evolutionary origin of phenotypic plasticity. 1/9 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This study results from a teamwork involving researchers from Singapore, Japan, and the USA. A big thanks to all the coauthors and collaborators from Monteiro lab, Ui-Tei lab, Fujiwara lab, and Wittkopp lab. This would not have been possible without their support. (21/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
This study results from a teamwork involving researchers from Singapore, Japan, and the USA. A big thanks to all the coauthors and collaborators from Monteiro lab, Ui-Tei lab, Fujiwara lab, and Wittkopp lab. This would not have been possible without their support. (21/n)
Not yet end of the story! As mir-193 is deeply conserved across the animal kingdom, we generated transgenic lines in Drosophila melanogaster to either overexpress, or repress mir-193. Surprisingly, mir-193 is also regulating melanic color in fruit flies! (18/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
Not yet end of the story! As mir-193 is deeply conserved across the animal kingdom, we generated transgenic lines in Drosophila melanogaster to either overexpress, or repress mir-193. Surprisingly, mir-193 is also regulating melanic color in fruit flies! (18/n)
MiRNAs repress target genes through base complementarity. We screened for direct targets of mir-193 using transcriptomes from both mir-193 mutant and wild-type wing tissues, and then experimentally validated multiple mir-193 direct targets, including an insect melanin pathway gene ebony (e). (17/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
MiRNAs repress target genes through base complementarity. We screened for direct targets of mir-193 using transcriptomes from both mir-193 mutant and wild-type wing tissues, and then experimentally validated multiple mir-193 direct targets, including an insect melanin pathway gene ebony (e). (17/n)
As a result, we confirmed that ivory serves as pri-mir-193/2788, and that mir-193 is the functional unit of ivory. (16/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
As a result, we confirmed that ivory serves as pri-mir-193/2788, and that mir-193 is the functional unit of ivory. (16/n)
If the two miRNAs were derived from ivory, disrupting the transcription of ivory would abolish the expression of ivory, mir-193, and mir-2788 altogether. I generated an ivory TSS knockout line and confirmed this using qPCR. (15/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
If the two miRNAs were derived from ivory, disrupting the transcription of ivory would abolish the expression of ivory, mir-193, and mir-2788 altogether. I generated an ivory TSS knockout line and confirmed this using qPCR. (15/n)
I knocked out the highly conserved ivory transcription start site (TSS) in all three butterflies previously used, the phenotypes were completely the same as the corresponding mir-193 knockout phenotypes. (14/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
I knocked out the highly conserved ivory transcription start site (TSS) in all three butterflies previously used, the phenotypes were completely the same as the corresponding mir-193 knockout phenotypes. (14/n)
We checked the spatial expression of ivory, mir-193, and mir-2788 in B. anynana, and noticed that their expression domains completely overlapped, mapping to the black/dark wing patterns. (13/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
We checked the spatial expression of ivory, mir-193, and mir-2788 in B. anynana, and noticed that their expression domains completely overlapped, mapping to the black/dark wing patterns. (13/n)
Then I checked transcriptomes from the miRNA mutant lines and I found this gigantic primary lncRNA only in the mir-193 mutant RNA-seq libraries, but not in wild-type RNA-seq libraries. This is the ‘ivory’ lncRNA discovered by @lucalivraghi.bsky.social and @hwkmthcrspr.bsky.social (12/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
Then I checked transcriptomes from the miRNA mutant lines and I found this gigantic primary lncRNA only in the mir-193 mutant RNA-seq libraries, but not in wild-type RNA-seq libraries. This is the ‘ivory’ lncRNA discovered by @lucalivraghi.bsky.social and @hwkmthcrspr.bsky.social (12/n)
We figured out that mir-193 is the major melanic color regulator in this locus. But as mentioned before, miRNAs are derived from long transcripts. Where is the parental primary-miRNA? There is no long transcripts overlapping the two miRNAs…(10/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
We figured out that mir-193 is the major melanic color regulator in this locus. But as mentioned before, miRNAs are derived from long transcripts. Where is the parental primary-miRNA? There is no long transcripts overlapping the two miRNAs…(10/n)
We then knocked out mir-193 in Pieris canidia and Papilio polytes butterflies, two other deeply diverged butterfly species, and obtained similar results – all black/dark wing colors disappeared. (9/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
We then knocked out mir-193 in Pieris canidia and Papilio polytes butterflies, two other deeply diverged butterfly species, and obtained similar results – all black/dark wing colors disappeared. (9/n)
Could mir-193 and/or mir-2788 be the effectors? I generated clean knockout lines for both miRNAs in B. anynana. When mir-193 was disrupted, wing colors became bright. And there were no visible effects when mir-2788 was disrupted. (8/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
Could mir-193 and/or mir-2788 be the effectors? I generated clean knockout lines for both miRNAs in B. anynana. When mir-193 was disrupted, wing colors became bright. And there were no visible effects when mir-2788 was disrupted. (8/n)
MiRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that are essential gene regulators. There are processed from long primary transcripts, and they repress gene expression by binding to their mRNA targets and mediating gene silencing. (7/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
MiRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that are essential gene regulators. There are processed from long primary transcripts, and they repress gene expression by binding to their mRNA targets and mediating gene silencing. (7/n)
If all these protein-coding genes are not regulating wing color, what else? In fact, there are two microRNAs (miRNAs), mir-193 and mir-2788, in this locus that were overlooked in previous studies. (6/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
If all these protein-coding genes are not regulating wing color, what else? In fact, there are two microRNAs (miRNAs), mir-193 and mir-2788, in this locus that were overlooked in previous studies. (6/n)
What is the effector gene in this locus? Could it be cortex or any other nearby protein-coding genes? Using CRSPR-Cas9, I disrupted four candidate genes, cortex, parn, LMTK, and washout, in Bicyclus anynana butterflies. As a result, no clear changes in wing color were observed… (5/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
What is the effector gene in this locus? Could it be cortex or any other nearby protein-coding genes? Using CRSPR-Cas9, I disrupted four candidate genes, cortex, parn, LMTK, and washout, in Bicyclus anynana butterflies. As a result, no clear changes in wing color were observed… (5/n)
This evolutionary hotspot locus is centered around a protein-coding gene ‘cortex’. While scientists believed that cortex is the effector gene in this locus, a clear functional correlation between cortex and the regulation of melanic color was hard to prove. (4/n)
December 5, 2024 at 9:36 PM
This evolutionary hotspot locus is centered around a protein-coding gene ‘cortex’. While scientists believed that cortex is the effector gene in this locus, a clear functional correlation between cortex and the regulation of melanic color was hard to prove. (4/n)
Not yet the end of the story! As mir-193 is a deeply conserved miRNA across the animal kingdom, we generated transgenic lines Drosophila melanogaster, to either overexpress, or repress mir-193. Surprisingly, mir-193 is also regulating melanic color in fruit flies! (18/n)
December 5, 2024 at 8:44 PM
Not yet the end of the story! As mir-193 is a deeply conserved miRNA across the animal kingdom, we generated transgenic lines Drosophila melanogaster, to either overexpress, or repress mir-193. Surprisingly, mir-193 is also regulating melanic color in fruit flies! (18/n)
MiRNAs repress target genes through base complementarity. We also screened for direct targets of mir-193 using transcriptomes from mir-193 mutant and wild-type wing tissues, and then experimentally validated multiple mir-193 direct targets, including an insect melanin pathway gene ebony (e). (17/n)
December 5, 2024 at 8:44 PM
MiRNAs repress target genes through base complementarity. We also screened for direct targets of mir-193 using transcriptomes from mir-193 mutant and wild-type wing tissues, and then experimentally validated multiple mir-193 direct targets, including an insect melanin pathway gene ebony (e). (17/n)