Naturally-segregating Variation at Ugt86Dd Contributes to Nicotine Resistance in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Identifying the causative sequence polymorphisms underlying complex trait variation is a key goal of evolutionary and biomedical genetics. By knowing the precise molecular events that confer phenotypic changes we can gain insight into the pathways underlying complex traits and the evolutionary forces acting on variation. Genetic analysis of complex traits in model systems regularly starts by constructing QTL maps, but generally fails to identify causative nucleotide-level polymorphisms. Previously we mapped a series of QTL contributing to resistance to nicotine in a Drosophila melanogaster multiparental mapping resource, and here use a battery of functional tests to resolve QTL to the molecular level. One large-effect QTL resided over a cluster of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases, and quantitative complementation tests using deficiencies eliminating subsets of these detoxification genes revealed allelic variation impacting resistance. RNAseq showed that Ugt86Dd had significantly higher expression in genotypes that are more resistant to nicotine, and anterior midgut-specific RNAi of this gene reduced resistance. We discovered a naturally-segregating 22-bp frameshift deletion in Ugt86Dd, and overexpression of the insertion-containing allele in a range of tissues enhanced resistance. Accounting for the InDel event during mapping largely eliminates the QTL, implying the InDel explains the bulk of the effect associated with the mapped locus. Finally, we edited a relatively resistant genetic background to generate lesions in Ugt86Dd that recapitulate the naturally-occurring putative loss-of-function allele, and succeeded in radically reducing resistance. The putatively causative coding InDel in Ugt86Dd can be a launchpad for future mechanistic exploration of xenobiotic detoxification.\n\nARTICLE SUMMARYResolving the mutations that contribute to among-individual trait variation is a major goal of biomedical and evolutionary genetics. In general however, genetic mapping experiments do not allow immediate resolution of the underlying causative variants. Previous mapping work revealed several loci contributing to nicotine resistance in Drosophila melanogaster. We employed a battery of functional tests to demonstrate that the detoxification gene Ugt86Dd has a major phenotypic effect, and that a segregating frameshift mutation is likely causative. Editing the gene to introduce a premature stop codon led to a significant reduction in resistance, validating its role in xenobiotic detoxification.