Developmental plasticity generates phenotypic variation, but how it contributes to evolutionary change is unclear. Phenotypes of individuals in caste-based (eusocial) societies are particularly sensitive to developmental processes, and the evolutionary origins of eusociality may be rooted in developmental plasticity of ancestral forms. We used an integrative genomics approach to evaluate the relationships among developmental plasticity, molecular evolution, and social behavior in a bee species (Megalopta genalis) that expresses flexible sociality, and thus provides a window into the factors that may have been important at the evolutionary origins of eusociality. We find that differences in social behavior are derived from genes that also regulate sex differentiation and metamorphosis. Positive selection on social traits is influenced by the function of these genes in development. We further identify evidence that social polyphenisms may become encoded in the genome via genetic changes in regulatory regions, specifically in transcription factor binding sites. Taken together, our results provide evidence that developmental plasticity provides the substrate for evolutionary novelty and shapes the selective landscape for molecular evolution in a major evolutionary innovation Eusociality.Extreme environmental conditions, such as heat, salinity, and decreased water availability, can have a devastating impact on plant growth and productivity, potentially resulting in the collapse of entire ecosystems. Stress-induced systemic signaling and systemic acquired acclimation play canonical roles in plant survival during episodes of environmental stress. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/rin1.html Recent studies revealed that in response to a single abiotic stress, applied to a single leaf, plants mount a comprehensive stress-specific systemic response that includes the accumulation of many different stress-specific transcripts and metabolites, as well as a coordinated stress-specific whole-plant stomatal response. However, in nature plants are routinely subjected to a combination of two or more different abiotic stresses, each potentially triggering its own stress-specific systemic response, highlighting a new fundamental question in plant biology are plants capable of integrating two different systemic signals simultaneously generated during conditions of stress combination? Here we show that plants can integrate two different systemic signals simultaneously generated during stress combination, and that the manner in which plants sense the different stresses that trigger these signals (i.e., at the same or different parts of the plant) makes a significant difference in how fast and efficient they induce systemic reactive oxygen species (ROS) signals; transcriptomic, hormonal, and stomatal responses; as well as plant acclimation. Our results shed light on how plants acclimate to their environment and survive a combination of different abiotic stresses. In addition, they highlight a key role for systemic ROS signals in coordinating the response of different leaves to stress.Numerous studies in plants have shown the vital roles of MYB transcription factors in signal transduction, developmental regulation, biotic/abiotic stress responses and secondary metabolism regulation. However, less is known about the functions of MYBs in Ganoderma In this study, five medicinal macrofungi of genus Ganoderma were subjected to a genome-wide comparative analysis of MYB genes. A total of 75 MYB genes were identified and classified into four types 1R-MYBs (52), 2R-MYBs (19), 3R-MYBs (2) and 4R-MYBs (2). Gene structure analysis revealed varying exon numbers (3-14) and intron lengths (7-1058 bp), and noncanonical GC-AG introns were detected in G. lucidum and G. sinense In a phylogenetic analysis, 69 out of 75 MYB genes were clustered into 15 subgroups, and both single-copy orthologous genes and duplicated genes were identified. The promoters of the MYB genes harboured multiple cis-elements, and specific genes were co-expressed with the G. lucidum MYB genes, indicating the potential roles of these MYB genes in stress response, development and metabolism. This comprehensive and systematic study of MYB family members provides a reference and solid foundation for further functional analysis of MYB genes in Ganoderma species.It is well known that mammals and avian gut microbiota compositions are shaped by the host genomes and affect quantitative traits. The microbial architecture describes the impact of the microbiota composition on quantitative trait variation and the number and effect distribution of microbiota features. In the present study the gut microbial architecture of feed-related traits phosphorus and calcium utilization, daily gain, feed intake and feed per gain ratio in the domestic poultry model species Japanese quail were assessed by mixed linear models. The ileum microbiota composition was characterized by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing techniques of growing individuals. The microbiability of the traits was on a similar level as the narrow sense heritability and was highly significant except for calcium utilization. The animal microbial correlation of the traits was substantial. Microbiome-wide association analyses revealed several traits associated and highly significant microbiota features, both on the bacteria genera as well as on the operational taxonomic unit level. Most features were significant for more than one trait, which explained the high microbial correlations. It can be concluded that the traits are polymicrobial determined with some microbiota features with larger effects and many with small effects. The results are important for the development of hologenomic selection schemes for feed-related traits in avian breeding programs that are targeting the host genome and the metagenome simultaneously.Crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci (COTS), are common in coral reefs of Indo-Pacific Ocean. Since they are highly fecund predators of corals, periodic outbreaks of COTS cause substantial loss of healthy coral reefs. Using complete mitochondrial DNA sequences, we here examined how COTS outbreaks in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan are reflected by the profile of their population genetics. Population genetics of the blue starfish, Linckia laevigata, which lives in the Ryukyu Archipelago, but not break out and the northern Pacific sea star, Asterias amurensis, which lives in colder seawater around the main Islands of Japan, were also examined as controls. Our results showed that As. amurensis has at least two local populations that diverged approximately 4.7 million years ago (MYA), and no genetic exchanges have occurred between the populations since then. Linckia laevigata shows two major populations in the Ryukyu Archipelago that likely diverged ∼6.8 MYA. The two populations, each comprised of individuals collected from coast of the Okinawa Island and those from the Ishigaki Island, suggest the presence of two cryptic species in the Ryukyu Archipelago.