Date of Thesis

Spring 2026

Description

Gene families are collections of genes that originate from a common ancestor and typically share a similar biological function. Studies of gene families across the tree of life have provided tremendous insight into fundamental processes of gene families in humans, including those associated with cancer, immunity, and metabolism. An excellent model to study gene family evolution is one of the largest and most diverse gene families in insects: the odorant receptors (ORs), that enable odor detection. To better understand the diversity and evolution of ORs in beetles, we annotated putative OR genes in four firefly species (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) with publicly available or newly generated high-quality genome assemblies. Iterative BLAST followed by manual curation of OR intron/exon boundaries identified 325 novel OR genes: 103 in Abscondita terminalis, 99 in Photinus corruscus, 83 in Pyrocoelia pectoralis, and 33 in Lamprigera yunnana. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most OR genes in these fireflies evolved since the species diverged from a common ancestor. Further, ORs in most species were located on large tandem arrays (i.e. groups of related genes located directly next to each other on a chromosome). However, ORs in L. yunnana–the species with less than half as many ORs as others–were more frequently located as single genes than in tandem arrays. This suggests tandem duplication has contributed to the diversity and evolution of ORs in fireflies. Continued genome studies of this charismatic beetle group may provide insight into relationships between ecological niche, OR gene family size, and gene duplication mechanisms.

Keywords

Evolutionary genomics, odorant receptor

Access Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Type

Bachelor of Science

Major

Cell Biology/Biochemistry

Minor, Emphasis, or Concentration

Computer Science

First Advisor

Sarah Lower

Second Advisor

Amy Hark

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Available for download on Sunday, May 06, 2029

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