Genomic signatures accompanying the dietary shift to phytophagy in polyphagan beetles.
Mathieu SeppeyPanagiotis IoannidisBrent C EmersonCamille PitteloudMarc Robinson-RechaviJulien RouxHermes E EscalonaDuane D McKennaBernhard MisofSeunggwan ShinXin ZhouRobert M WaterhouseNadir AlvarezPublished in: Genome biology (2019)
Our explicit modeling of the evolution of gene repertoires across 18 species identifies putative adaptive lineage-specific gene family expansions that accompany the dietary shift towards plants in beetles. These genomic signatures support the popular hypothesis of a key role for interactions with plant chemical defenses, and for plant feeding in general, in driving beetle diversification.