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Stepwise evolution of a duplicated sugar transporter cluster into a flavonoid uptake system for silkworm cocoon coloration
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DOI：10.1038/s42003-026-10777-w.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Gene duplication provides raw material for evolutionary innovation, yet how duplicated genes are progressively integrated into specialized biological systems remains poorly understood. Here we investigate a sugar transporter gene cluster in the silkworm that is associated with flavonoid accumulation underlying green cocoon pigmentation. Through integrated phylogenomic, molecular evolutionary, and functional analyses, we identify patterns consistent with a stepwise process of functional integration. An early duplication followed by regulatory recruitment is associated with the emergence of transporter expression in the silk gland (SG), establishing the cellular framework required for flavonoid transport. Subsequent lineage-specific duplications reinforced SG specialization and were associated with increased predicted affinity for glycosylated flavonoids (the predominant bioavailable forms of both dietary and endogenous flavonoids), thereby aligning transporter specificity with flavonoid availability and potentially facilitating efficient pigment accumulation. Finally, cooperative interactions among paralogs emerge through subtle functional divergence and structured redundancy, supporting robust flavonoid uptake within the SG. Together, these processes enable efficient and robust flavonoid incorporation within the silk gland, thereby contributing to green cocoon pigmentation. Our findings reveal how duplicated transporters can be progressively integrated into specialized biological systems through regulatory reassignment, quantitative functional divergence, and cooperative redundancy, providing a mechanistic framework linking gene duplication to phenotypic innovation. Stepwise evolution of a duplicated sugar transporter cluster in silkworms gave rise to a flavonoid uptake system underlying green cocoon pigmentation.
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