The gene ivory:mir-193 controls scale type differentiation in Heliconius butterflies
Joseph J. Hanly, Leo T. Camino, Julia C. Holder, Paola Calderon-Oñate, Pushkar Ravindra Wagh, Joshue Ruiz, Leia Zhao, Eva D. Stroh, Luca Livraghi, Ling Sheng Loh, Carlos Federico Arias, Lawrence E. Gilbert, Gregory A. Wray, Arnaud Martin, W. Owen McMillan
The paper identifies ivory:mir-193 as a master regulator of scale type differentiation in Heliconius butterflies, showing it converts Type II scales to Type I and influences Type III scale development through readthrough transcription.
bioRxiv · Feb 27, 2026 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology