Atlas blue butterfly, or Polyommatus atlantica Right now, the Atlas blue butterfly is the ultimate champion in making a splash in genetics. It has nowadays been approved as the multicellular animal with the most chromosomes. This amazing species that lives on the edge is known from the mountain ranges of Morocco and northeast Algeria. It has a whopping 229 pairs of chromosomes! This number is in remarkable and responsible contrast with most of its close relatives. They typically only print 23 or 24 pairs.
A recent genomic study published in the journal Current Biology helps us better understand the evolutionary path that led to this strange Atlas blue butterfly. The Institute of Evolutionary Biology of the University of Edinburgh and the Wellcome Sanger Institute carried out this research jointly. They discovered how the chromosomes of this colorful butterfly divided on average every three million years. Like many other ocean sunfish, this dramatic chromosomal alteration started with the usual base pair count of 24 chromosomes, eventually developing into today’s standard number of 229.
A Unique Chromosomal Structure
In the Atlas blue butterfly, these chromosomes have become radically reshuffled. This change only occurs at locations in their DNA where it is less tightly coiled. It’s this process that sets the butterfly apart from other caterpillars. It can be equally informative in uncovering key paradigms about more general biological phenomena. These chromosomes are often strongly rearranged as observed in many species and in human cancer cells. This remarkable feature is leading to new and dynamic opportunities for biomedical research.
Speaking shortly after the results were announced, Professor Mark Blaxter – a principal researcher on the £4m study – explained what these findings could mean.
“Being able to see, in detail, how the Atlas blue butterfly chromosomes have been split over time in specific places, we can start to investigate what benefits this might have, how it impacts their ability to adapt to their environment, and whether there are any lessons we can learn from their DNA that might aid conservation in the future.” – Professor Mark Blaxter
This unique chromosomal structure opens up new avenues for understanding the adaptation mechanisms in these butterflies and potentially other species facing environmental changes.
Evolutionary Insights from Genomic Study
Sequencing the Atlas blue butterfly’s genome marks a new horizon in evolutionary biology. This allows researchers to study how it has such an extreme count of chromosomes. They can learn how these changes will impact its movement and its likelihood of survival. These genomic rearrangements apparently pose tremendous evolutionary benefits, as evidenced by the study’s findings.
Dr. Charlotte Wright, another researcher involved in the study, noted the importance of selecting this particular species for genomic exploration.
“When we set out to start to understand evolution in butterflies, we knew we had to sequence the most extreme, and somewhat mysterious, Atlas blue butterfly.” – Dr. Charlotte Wright
As T. Vanessa, Dr. Roger Vila pointed out, chromosomal breakdown is not unique to Heliconius among butterflies. None demonstrate the wide-ranging adaptations seen in the Atlas blue butterfly.
“Breaking down chromosomes has been seen in other species of butterflies, but not on this level, suggesting that there are important reasons for this process which we can now start to explore.” – Dr. Roger Vila
Together, these insights may allow researchers to build a more complete picture of how new species emerge and adapt to their novel environments over time.
Implications for Cancer Research
The study highlights an intriguing connection between chromosomal rearrangements in the Atlas blue butterfly and those seen in human cancer cells. Learning how these chromosomal changes arise could yield crucial insights that help inform strategies to fight against cancer.
It was this major crossover between evolutionary biology and medical research that Professor Blaxter commented on.
“It also allows us to apply learnings from one genome to another. For example, rearranging chromosomes is also seen in human cancer cells, and understanding this process in the Atlas blue butterfly could help find ways to limit or stop this in cancer cells in the future.” – Professor Mark Blaxter
The use of this research truly knows no bounds. It has great potential to be a transformative tool for more effective conservation efforts, unlocking new discoveries in the field of medical science.
