Welcome!
The Verhulst-group is embeded in the Laboratory of Entomology, Plant Sciences Group, Wageningen University. Our work is in the field of evolutionary developmental biology with a focus on the evolution of sex determination and differentiation in insects. In addition, the PI collaborates on biocontrol focused projects.
Our drive
The appearance of both sexes from the same species is often highly diverse; sometimes it is even hard to tell whether a male and a female belong to the same species at all! Insects are one notable class of organisms that showcase extreme differences between sexes, called sexual dimorphism. In addition to their diverse appearances, insects also have an astounding diversity in their molecular pathway that determines the sex during early development, the sex determination cascade. This variation is unexpected as the net result is always the same: male or female development.
All insects studied have the same gene, called doublesex, that regulates their sexual development and morphology. Doublesex is a transcription factor and responsible for regulating all the different sexually dimorphic traits that can be observed in nature. However, we still have limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the huge dimorphic differences that we can see in insects. Do genes come and go, or do all insects have more or less the same set of genes and is there a difference in the regulation of these genes?
Over 40 years ago, King and Wilson reported that enormous differences in phenotype and behaviour are often not due to differences in protein sequence. They discovered that the evolution of gene regulation is a key player in adaptation and speciation. We have now gained first insights into this regulatory evolution and its players, but we are a long way from having a comprehensive understanding of the relation between transcription factor protein evolution and the continuously changing genetic architecture of their binding sites that regulate target gene expression.
In our research we aim to get a deeper understanding of the way evolution shapes molecular pathways that result in a bewildering biodiversity. Our main research interests are:
1) unraveling the evolution of sex determination cascades, an important developmental pathway; to understand the enormous diversity in sex determining mechanisms throughout the animal kingdom.
2) the interaction of doublesex with its target genes, the highly conserved transcription factor at the bottom of the cascade, to understand how this ultimately result in rapid evolution of sexual dimorphic traits.
3) understanding challenges in polyploid evolution, by comparing a decade-old polyploid Nasonia vitripennis line with newly created polyploid lines by clever use of sex determination mutants.
In addition, we are involved in the fundamentals of using parasitoid wasps in biological control and integrated pest management.
All insects studied have the same gene, called doublesex, that regulates their sexual development and morphology. Doublesex is a transcription factor and responsible for regulating all the different sexually dimorphic traits that can be observed in nature. However, we still have limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the huge dimorphic differences that we can see in insects. Do genes come and go, or do all insects have more or less the same set of genes and is there a difference in the regulation of these genes?
Over 40 years ago, King and Wilson reported that enormous differences in phenotype and behaviour are often not due to differences in protein sequence. They discovered that the evolution of gene regulation is a key player in adaptation and speciation. We have now gained first insights into this regulatory evolution and its players, but we are a long way from having a comprehensive understanding of the relation between transcription factor protein evolution and the continuously changing genetic architecture of their binding sites that regulate target gene expression.
In our research we aim to get a deeper understanding of the way evolution shapes molecular pathways that result in a bewildering biodiversity. Our main research interests are:
1) unraveling the evolution of sex determination cascades, an important developmental pathway; to understand the enormous diversity in sex determining mechanisms throughout the animal kingdom.
2) the interaction of doublesex with its target genes, the highly conserved transcription factor at the bottom of the cascade, to understand how this ultimately result in rapid evolution of sexual dimorphic traits.
3) understanding challenges in polyploid evolution, by comparing a decade-old polyploid Nasonia vitripennis line with newly created polyploid lines by clever use of sex determination mutants.
In addition, we are involved in the fundamentals of using parasitoid wasps in biological control and integrated pest management.
Funding
We are happy to have funding from:
News
10 Dec. 2020
Our paper by Rougeot et al. describing the use of GFP dsRNA as non-target control is accepted in Experimental Results
Our paper by Rougeot et al. describing the use of GFP dsRNA as non-target control is accepted in Experimental Results
18 Nov. 2020
Our paper by Ferguson et al. describing the genome of B. brevicornis and a putative csd gene is accepted in Genes
Our paper by Ferguson et al. describing the genome of B. brevicornis and a putative csd gene is accepted in Genes
2 Nov. 2020
Emelyne Gaudichau and Cas Zandbergen join the group for their MSc thesis
Emelyne Gaudichau and Cas Zandbergen join the group for their MSc thesis
29 Oct. 2020
Our paper by Ferguson et al. describing the genome and more of N. tenuis is accepted in Insect Molecular Biology
Our paper by Ferguson et al. describing the genome and more of N. tenuis is accepted in Insect Molecular Biology
27 Oct. 2020
Kim Ferguson wins the NEV prize for best PhD thesis!
Kim Ferguson wins the NEV prize for best PhD thesis!
21 Oct. 2020
Our paper by Zou et al. describing the primary signal in N. vitripennis is accepted in Science
Our paper by Zou et al. describing the primary signal in N. vitripennis is accepted in Science
19 Oct. 2020
Nick Bovee joins the group for his MSc thesis
Nick Bovee joins the group for his MSc thesis
1 Oct. 2020
Saminathan Murugesan Shivaprakasham starts his PhD project in collaboration with Evolutionary Genetics, Univ. Groningen
Saminathan Murugesan Shivaprakasham starts his PhD project in collaboration with Evolutionary Genetics, Univ. Groningen
17 Jul. 2020
Received ENW Open Competition grant to study the evolution of polyploidy in collaboration with Evolutionary Genetics, Univ. Groningen
Received ENW Open Competition grant to study the evolution of polyploidy in collaboration with Evolutionary Genetics, Univ. Groningen
22 Nov. 2019
Aidan Willims wins the Darwin prize for best MSc thesis!
Aidan Willims wins the Darwin prize for best MSc thesis!
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