Robert D. Reed

A single-cell transcriptomic atlas of paper wasp brains highlights Kenyon cells' role in social behavior

The paper uses single-cell transcriptomics to analyze brain cells in paper wasps, showing that Kenyon cells vary with social roles and respond to social interactions.

Canalization masks high levels of cryptic epigenetic and transcriptional plasticity in butterflies

The paper shows that a canalized butterfly population has higher transcriptional and chromatin plasticity than a seasonally plastic population, suggesting chromatin remodeling masks genetic variation.

optix regulates abdominal melanin pigmentation in the tobacco hawkmoth Manduca sexta

This study disrupts optix in Manduca sexta and finds it regulates abdominal pigmentation, replacing orange with black eumelanin, suggesting optix modulates an alternative pigment pathway.

nubbin, ventral veinless, and pdm3 play diverse roles in butterfly wing pattern development

This study identifies novel roles of nubbin, ventral veinless, and pdm3 in butterfly wing pattern development through gene expression and knockout analyses in Junonia coenia.

araucan regulates butterfly wing iridescence by coordinating scale structure and pigmentation

This study identifies araucan as a transcription factor that regulates butterfly wing iridescence by coordinating scale structure and pigmentation through pattern-specific effects.

Synchronous seasonal plasticity in colouration, behaviour, and visual gene expression in a wild butterfly population

The paper examines seasonal changes in wing coloration, behavior, and visual gene expression in Junonia coenia butterflies, finding coordinated shifts across these traits.

Single-nucleus transcriptomics of wing sexual dimorphism and scale cell specialization in sulphur butterflies

This study uses single-nucleus transcriptomics to investigate sex-specific gene expression in wing scale cells of Colias eurytheme butterflies, revealing regulatory mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism.

mirror determines the far posterior domain in butterfly wings

This study identifies the transcription factor mirror as a selector gene responsible for defining the far posterior domain in butterfly wings, influencing wing shape, scale morphology, and color pattern.

The ivory lncRNA regulates seasonal color patterns in buckeye butterflies

The paper identifies ivory, a conserved lncRNA, as the color pattern gene at the cortex locus in buckeye butterflies, showing how cis-regulatory elements of ivory influence seasonal color variation.

A long non-coding RNA at the cortex locus controls adaptive colouration in butterflies

This study identifies a long non-coding RNA, ivory, at the cortex locus that controls adaptive colouration in butterflies by modulating pigmentation patterns through CRISPR mutagenesis.

Combinatorial Wnt Signaling induces Margin Color Elements in Swallowtail Butterfly Ground Plan.

The paper investigates homologies in swallowtail butterfly wing patterns using phylogenetic analysis, CRISPR perturbation, and in situ experiments, revealing the role of Wnt signaling in shaping specific elements.

Multiple roles for laccase2 in butterfly wing pigmentation, scale development, and cuticle tanning

This study investigates the role of laccase2 in butterfly wing pigmentation, scale development, and cuticle tanning using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in Vanessa cardui.

Genetic basis of melanin pigmentation in butterfly wings

The paper identifies genes involved in butterfly wing pigmentation through RNA-seq and CRISPR/Cas9, revealing localized effects of melanin pathway genes on color patterns.

A practical guide to CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in Lepidoptera

The paper provides a practical guide for using CRISPR/Cas9 to edit genomes in Lepidoptera, including protocols for targeted deletions and GFP knockins.