We plan to extract DNA from a butterfly (Maculinea alcon) egg for microsatellite analysis. The egg is too small to separate the eggshell from the tiny caterpillar inside of it. Does the eggshell contains maternal DNA and should we expect amplification of maternal alleles beside the alleles of the caterpillar?
For some insects, genome rearrangements occur during development. Is there also evidence for genome rearrangements during the developmental stages of butterflies?
Hi!
Maybe there is some DNA in the eggshell though not much, all of the chorionnic layers are of maternal origin, though much of the chorion is basically non-cellular. However: is it absolutely impossible waiting until the larva is about developed, then extracting it? This would lower the probabilities to get maternal tissues if that is the problem...
Regards
Thank you Enrique, for the helpful answer. The eggs were collected on the food plant and both plant material with butterfly eggs were put on ethanol. Therefore it is impossible to wait until the larvae developed.
kind regards,
An
An Vanden Broeck,
It is possible that the chorion in lepidopterans would have some small amount of residual maternal DNA from fragments of adhering follicle cells, as these to remain in close juxtaposition as the chorion is produced. The paper I've noted below is on a trichopteran, which is closely related to the Lepidoptera and has very similar egg chamber structure and development. Please note in the electron micrographs the external location of the follicle cells, which are entirely of maternal (rather than post-meiotic germinal) origin.
Good luck with your work!
Bruce
Article Ultrastructure of the Vitellogenic Egg Chambers of the Caddi...
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