Plasticity for the win: Flexible transcriptional response to host plant switches in the comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album).

Generalist plant-feeding insects are characterised by a broad host repertoire that can comprise several families or even different orders of plants. The genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying the use of such a wide host range are still not fully understood. Earlier studies indicate that the consumption of different host plants is associated with host-specific gene expression profiles. It remained, however, unclear if and how larvae can alter these profiles in the case of a changing host environment. Using the polyphagous comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) we show that larvae can adjust their transcriptional profiles in response to a new host plant. The switch to some of the host plants, however, resulted in a larger transcriptional response and, thus, seems to be more challenging. At a physiological level, no correspondence for these patterns could be found in larval performance. This suggests that a high transcriptional but also phenotypic flexibility are essential for the use of a broad and diverse host range. We furthermore propose that host switch tests in the laboratory followed by transcriptomic investigations can be a valuable tool to examine not only plasticity in host use but also subtle and/or transient trade-offs in the evolution of host plant repertoires.

A time course analysis through diapause reveals dynamic temporal patterns of microRNAs associated with endocrine regulation in the butterfly Pieris napi.

Organisms inhabiting highly seasonal environments must cope with a wide range of environmentally induced challenges. Many seasonal challenges require extensive physiological modification to survive. In winter, to survive extreme cold and limited resources, insects commonly enter diapause, which is an endogenously derived dormant state associated with minimized cellular processes and low energetic expenditure. Due to the high degree of complexity involved in diapause, substantial cellular regulation is required, of which our understanding primarily derives from the transcriptome via messenger RNA expression dynamics. Here we aim to advance our understanding of diapause by investigating microRNA (miRNA) expression in diapausing and direct developing pupae of the butterfly Pieris napi. We identified coordinated patterns of miRNA expression throughout diapause in both head and abdomen tissues of pupae, and via miRNA target identification, found several expression patterns to be enriched for relevant diapause-related physiological processes. We also identified two candidate miRNAs, miR-14-5p and miR-2a-3p, that are likely involved in diapause progression through their activity in the ecdysone pathway, a critical regulator of diapause termination. miR-14-5p targets phantom, a gene in the ecdysone synthesis pathway, and is upregulated early in diapause. miR-2a-3p has been found to be expressed in response to ecdysone, and is upregulated during diapause termination. Together, the expression patterns of these two miRNAs match our current understanding of the timing of hormonal regulation of diapause in P. napi and provide interesting candidates to further explore the mechanistic role of microRNAs in diapause regulation.

Patterns of genetic variation and local adaptation of a native herbivore to a lethal invasive plant.

Understanding the evolutionary processes that influence fitness is critical to predicting species' responses to selection. Interactions among evolutionary processes including gene flow, drift and the strength of selection can lead to either local adaptation or maladaptation, especially in heterogenous landscapes. Populations experiencing novel environments or resources are ideal for understanding the mechanisms underlying adaptation or maladaptation, specifically in locally co-evolved interactions. We used the interaction between a native herbivore that oviposits on a patchily distributed introduced plant that in turn causes significant mortality to the larvae to test for signatures of local adaptation in areas where the two co-occurred. We used whole-genome sequencing to explore population structure, patterns of gene flow and signatures of local adaptation. We found signatures of local adaptation in response to the introduced plant in the absence of strong population structure with no genetic differentiation and low genetic variation. Additionally, we found localized allele frequency differences within a single population between habitats with and without the lethal plant, highlighting the effects of strong selection. Finally, we identified that selection was acting on larval ability to feed on the plant rather than on females' ability to avoid oviposition, thus uncovering the specific ontogenetic target of selection. Our work highlights the potential for adaptation to occur in a fine-grained landscape in the presence of gene flow and low genetic variation.

Genetic constraints in genes exhibiting splicing plasticity in facultative diapause.

Phenotypic plasticity is produced and maintained by processes regulating the transcriptome. While differential gene expression is among the most important of these processes, relatively little is known about other sources of transcriptional variation. Previous work suggests that alternative splicing plays an extensive and functionally unique role in transcriptional plasticity, though plastically spliced genes may be more constrained than the remainder of expressed genes. In this study, we explore the relationship between expression and splicing plasticity, along with the genetic diversity in those genes, in an ecologically consequential polyphenism: facultative diapause. Using 96 samples spread over two tissues and 10 timepoints, we compare the extent of differential splicing and expression between diapausing and direct developing pupae of the butterfly Pieris napi. Splicing differs strongly between diapausing and direct developing trajectories but alters a smaller and functionally unique set of genes compared to differential expression. We further test the hypothesis that among these expressed loci, plastically spliced genes are likely to experience the strongest purifying selection to maintain seasonally plastic phenotypes. Genes with unique transcriptional changes through diapause consistently had the lowest nucleotide diversity, and this effect was consistently stronger among genes that were differentially spliced compared to those with just differential expression through diapause. Further, the strength of negative selection was higher in the population expressing diapause every generation. Our results suggest that maintenance of the molecular mechanisms involved in diapause progression, including post-transcriptional modifications, are highly conserved and likely to experience genetic constraints, especially in northern populations of P. napi.

Evaluating the frequency of crisis pregnancy center visits among a population of patients seeking abortions in Los Angeles.

OBJECTIVES: Studies have illustrated crisis pregnancy centers' (CPC) disingenuous practices regarding abortion services. We evaluated the proportion of patients who visited a CPC before their abortion in Los Angeles. STUDY DESIGN: Patients attending one of two abortion clinics between July 2019 and March 2020 were recruited for a survey that examined patient characteristics and locations of care. RESULTS: Five hundred eleven respondents participated (62% response rate). Less than 1% of individuals visited a CPC before their abortion. Fifty-three percent of survey respondents obtained their abortion within one visit, 39% within two unique clinic visits, and eight percent visited three or more clinics. CONCLUSION: CPC visits before abortion were uncommon in our patient population.

Larval transcriptomes reflect the evolutionary history of plant-insect associations.

In this study, we investigated whether patterns of gene expression in larvae feeding on different plants can explain important aspects of the evolution of insect-plant associations, such as phylogenetic conservatism of host use and re-colonization of ancestral hosts that have been lost from the host repertoire. To this end, we performed a phylogenetically informed study comparing the transcriptomes of 4 nymphalid butterfly species in Polygonia and the closely related genus Nymphalis. Larvae were reared on Urtica dioica, Salix spp., and Ribes spp. Plant-specific gene expression was found to be similar across butterfly species, even in the case of host plants that are no longer used by two of the butterfly species. These results suggest that plant-specific transcriptomes can be robust over evolutionary time. We propose that adaptations to particular larval food plants can profitably be understood as an evolved set of modules of co-expressed genes, promoting conservatism in host use and facilitating re-colonization. Moreover, we speculate that the degree of overlap between plant-specific transcriptomes may correlate with the strength of trade-offs between plants as resources and hence to the probability of colonizing hosts and complete host shifts.

Patient perspectives on barriers in obtaining timely abortion care in Los Angeles, California.

OBJECTIVES: Although California is a state with supportive abortion policies, recent evidence suggests people may still encounter barriers to obtaining timely abortion care. To provide an in-depth understanding of these barriers and augment existing literature focusing on restrictive and hostile states, we sought to understand the patient perspectives of barriers to timely abortion care in Los Angeles, California. STUDY DESIGN: We recruited participants from two, high-volume urban clinical sites and conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 individuals who visited three or more clinics and/or encountered more than 2 weeks between seeking and obtaining their abortion. Using thematic analysis, we analyzed deidentified transcripts by first developing and applying codes, then identifying overarching themes to describe barriers to timely abortion care. RESULTS: Participants described three primary barriers leading to abortion care delay: (1) difficulties in ensuring insurance coverage or securing authorization for abortion care from private/employer-sponsored insurance, (2) inadequate screening resulting in multiple appointments where desired care could not be provided, and (3) difficulties with expeditious referrals to appropriate clinical sites. Participants also described accumulated fatigue from facing layers of resistance when pursuing avenues for care. CONCLUSIONS: Even in supportive abortion policy states, barriers to abortion care from insurance, screening, and referral-related issues may result in delayed or unaccessed care, negatively impacting patient experience. Understanding and mitigating reasons for delays are critical to improving patient experience with abortion care. IMPLICATIONS: Standardized telephone triage at local clinic facilities and streamlined MediCal authorization of abortion services may mitigate barriers to timely abortion care.

Novel host unmasks heritable variation in plant preference within an insect population.

Introductions of novel plant species can disturb the historical resource environment of herbivorous insects, resulting in strong selection to either adopt or exclude the novel host. However, an adaptive response depends on heritable genetic variation for preference or performance within the targeted herbivore population, and it is unclear how heritability of host-use preference may differ between novel and historical hosts. Pieris macdunnoughii butterflies in the Rocky Mountains lay eggs on the nonnative mustard Thlaspi arvense, which is lethal to their offspring. Heritability analyses revealed considerable sex-linked additive genetic variation in host preference within a population of this butterfly. This was contrary to general predictions about the genetic basis of preference variation, which are hypothesized to be sex linked between populations but autosomal within populations. Evidence of sex linkage disappeared when butterflies were tested on methanol-based chemical extracts, suggesting these chemicals in isolation may not be the primary driver of female choice among available host plants. Although unexpected, evidence for within-population sex-linked genetic variation in preference for T. arvense over native hosts indicates that persistent maladaptive oviposition on this lethal plant must be maintained by alternative evolutionary dynamics such as migration- or drift-selection balance or pleiotropic constraints.

Alternative splicing in seasonal plasticity and the potential for adaptation to environmental change.

Seasonal plasticity is accomplished via tightly regulated developmental cascades that translate environmental cues into trait changes. Little is known about how alternative splicing and other posttranscriptional molecular mechanisms contribute to plasticity or how these mechanisms impact how plasticity evolves. Here, we use transcriptomic and genomic data from the butterfly Bicyclus anynana, a model system for seasonal plasticity, to compare the extent of differential expression and splicing and test how these axes of transcriptional plasticity differ in their potential for evolutionary change. Between seasonal morphs, we find that differential splicing affects a smaller but functionally unique set of genes compared to differential expression. Further, we find strong support for the novel hypothesis that spliced genes are more susceptible than differentially expressed genes to erosion of genetic variation due to selection on seasonal plasticity. Our results suggest that splicing plasticity is especially likely to experience genetic constraints that could affect the potential of wild populations to respond to rapidly changing environments.

High-Quality Genome Assembly and Comprehensive Transcriptome of the Painted Lady Butterfly Vanessa cardui.

The painted lady butterfly, Vanessa cardui, has the longest migration routes, the widest hostplant diversity, and one of the most complex wing patterns of any insect. Due to minimal culturing requirements, easily characterized wing pattern elements, and technical feasibility of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, V. cardui is emerging as a functional genomics model for diverse research programs. Here, we report a high-quality, annotated genome assembly of the V. cardui genome, generated using 84× coverage of PacBio long-read data, which we assembled into 205 contigs with a total length of 425.4 Mb (N50 = 10.3 Mb). The genome was very complete (single-copy complete Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs [BUSCO] 97%), with contigs assembled into presumptive chromosomes using synteny analyses. Our annotation used embryonic, larval, and pupal transcriptomes, and 20 transcriptomes across five different wing developmental stages. Gene annotations showed a high level of accuracy and completeness, with 14,437 predicted protein-coding genes. This annotated genome assembly constitutes an important resource for diverse functional genomic studies ranging from the developmental genetic basis of butterfly color pattern, to coevolution with diverse hostplants.

Chromosome Level Assembly of the Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album).

The comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album, Nymphalidae, Lepidoptera) is a model insect species, most notably in the study of phenotypic plasticity and plant-insect coevolutionary interactions. In order to facilitate the integration of genomic tools with a diverse body of ecological and evolutionary research, we assembled the genome of a Swedish comma using 10X sequencing, scaffolding with matepair data, genome polishing, and assignment to linkage groups using a high-density linkage map. The resulting genome is 373 Mb in size, with a scaffold N50 of 11.7 Mb and contig N50 of 11,2Mb. The genome contained 90.1% of single-copy Lepidopteran orthologs in a BUSCO analysis of 5,286 genes. A total of 21,004 gene-models were annotated on the genome using RNA-Seq data from larval and adult tissue in combination with proteins from the Arthropoda database, resulting in a high-quality annotation for which functional annotations were generated. We further documented the quality of the chromosomal assembly via synteny assessment with Melitaea cinxia. The resulting annotated, chromosome-level genome will provide an important resource for investigating coevolutionary dynamics and comparative analyses in Lepidoptera.

The Genome of the Margined White Butterfly (Pieris macdunnoughii): Sex Chromosome Insights and the Power of Polishing with PoolSeq Data.

We report a chromosome-level assembly for Pieris macdunnoughii, a North American butterfly whose involvement in an evolutionary trap imposed by an invasive Eurasian mustard has made it an emerging model system for studying maladaptation in plant-insect interactions. Assembled using nearly 100× coverage of Oxford Nanopore long reads, the contig-level assembly comprised 106 contigs totaling 316,549,294 bases, with an N50 of 5.2 Mb. We polished the assembly with PoolSeq Illumina short-read data, demonstrating for the first time the comparable performance of individual and pooled short reads as polishing data sets. Extensive synteny between the reported contig-level assembly and a published, chromosome-level assembly of the European butterfly Pieris napi allowed us to generate a pseudochromosomal assembly of 47 contigs, placing 91.1% of our 317 Mb genome into a chromosomal framework. Additionally, we found support for a Z chromosome arrangement in P. napi, showing that the fusion event leading to this rearrangement predates the split between European and North American lineages of Pieris butterflies. This genome assembly and its functional annotation lay the groundwork for future research into the genetic basis of adaptive and maladaptive egg-laying behavior by P. macdunnoughii, contributing to our understanding of the susceptibility and responses of insects to evolutionary traps.

Mifepristone Antagonization With Progesterone to Prevent Medical Abortion: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the efficacy and safety of mifepristone antagonization with high-dose oral progesterone. METHODS: We planned to enroll 40 patients in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. We enrolled patients at 44-63 days of gestation with ultrasound-confirmed gestational cardiac activity who were planning surgical abortion. Participants ingested mifepristone 200 mg and initiated oral progesterone 400 mg or placebo 24 hours later twice daily for 3 days, then once daily until their planned surgical abortion 14-16 days after enrollment. Follow-up visits were scheduled 3±1, 7±1, and 15±1 days after mifepristone intake with ultrasonography and blood testing for human chorionic gonadotropin and progesterone. Participants exited from the study when they had their surgical abortion or earlier for gestational cardiac activity absence, gestational sac expulsion, or medically indicated suction aspiration. We assessed the primary outcome of continued gestational cardiac activity at approximately 2 weeks (15±1 day), side effects after drug ingestion, and safety outcomes including hemorrhage and emergent treatment. RESULTS: We enrolled participants from February to July 2019 and stopped enrollment after 12 patients for safety concerns. Mean gestational age was 52.5 days. Two (one per group) voluntarily discontinued 3 days after mifepristone ingestion for subjective symptoms (nausea and vomiting, bleeding). Among the remaining 10 patients (five per group), gestational cardiac activity continued for 2 weeks in four in the progesterone group and two in the placebo group. One patient in the placebo group had no gestational cardiac activity 3 days after mifepristone use. Severe hemorrhage requiring ambulance transport to hospital occurred in three patients; one received progesterone (complete expulsion, no aspiration) and two received placebo (aspiration for both, one required transfusion). We halted enrollment after the third hemorrhage. No other significant side effects were reported. CONCLUSION: We could not estimate the efficacy of progesterone for mifepristone antagonization due to safety concerns when mifepristone is administered without subsequent prostaglandin analogue treatment. Patients in early pregnancy who use only mifepristone may be at high risk of significant hemorrhage. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03774745.

Long-term outcomes after elective sterilization procedures - a comparative retrospective cohort study of Medicaid patients.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to compare the long-term outcomes, including hysterectomy, chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), in women post hysteroscopic sterilization (HS) and laparoscopic tubal ligation (TL) in the Medicaid population. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective observational cohort analysis using data from the US Medicaid Analytic Extracts Encounters database. Women aged 18 to 49years with at least one claim for HS (n=3929) or TL (n=10,875) between July 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010, were included. Main outcome measures were hysterectomy, CPP or AUB in the 24months poststerilization. Propensity score matching was used to control for patient demographics and baseline characteristics. Logistic regression analysis investigated the variables associated with a 24-month rate of each outcome in the HS versus laparoscopic TL cohorts. RESULTS: Postmatching analyses were performed at 6, 12 and 24months post index procedure. At 24months, hysterectomy was more common in the laparoscopic TL than the HS group (3.5% vs. 2.1%; p=.0023), as was diagnosis of CPP (26.8% vs. 23.5%; p=.0050). No significant differences in AUB diagnoses were observed. Logistic regression identified HS as being associated with lower risk of hysterectomy (odds ratio [OR] 0.77 [95% confidence interval {CI} 0.60-0.97]; p=.0274) and lower risk of CPP diagnosis (OR 0.91 [95% CI 0.83-0.99]; p=.0336) at 24months poststerilization. CONCLUSION: In Medicaid patients, HS is associated with a significantly lower risk of hysterectomy or CPP diagnosis 24months poststerilization versus laparoscopic TL. Incidence of AUB poststerilization is not significantly different. While some differences in outcomes were statistically significant, the effect sizes were small, and the conclusion is one of equivalence and not clinical superiority. IMPLICATIONS STATEMENT: This propensity score matching analysis confirms that pelvic pain and AUB are common in women before and after sterilization regardless of whether the procedure is performed hysteroscopically or laparoscopically. Moreover, HS is associated with a significantly lower risk of hysterectomy or a CPP diagnosis in the 24months poststerilization when compared to TL.

Comparison of serum and cervical mucus hormone levels during hormone-free interval of 24/4 vs. 21/7 combined oral contraceptives.

BACKGROUND: This study analyzes levels of progesterone, estradiol, norethindrone (NET) and ethinyl estradiol (EE) in serum and levels of NET in cervical mucus on the last day of the hormone-free interval (HFI) in users of 24/4 [norethindrone acetate (NETA)/EE-24] vs. 21/7 (NETA/EE-21) regimens. STUDY DESIGN: This was a randomized controlled, crossover, equivalency trial. Subjects were randomized to receive NETA/EE-24 or NETA/EE-21 for 2 months and then switched between study drugs. Blood and cervical mucus samples were obtained on Days 12-16 and on the last day of the HFI. RESULTS: From April 2010 to November 2011, 32 subjects were enrolled with 18 subjects completing all study visits. There were no statistically significant differences in either day 12-16 (p=.54) or last hormone-free day (p=.33) cervical mucus NET concentrations between the regimens. On the last day of the HFI, median serum progesterone levels did not differ significantly; however, users of NETA/EE-24 had higher levels of serum NET (p<.001) and users of NETA/EE-21 had higher levels of serum estradiol (p=.01). CONCLUSION: This data supports the fact that inhibition of the pituitary-ovarian axis occurs during oral contraceptive use and during the HFI. We demonstrated that a reduced HFI of 4 days resulted in better suppression of the ovarian hormone production, thereby reducing the risk of ovulation and potential contraceptive failure.

Comparison of cervical mucus of 24/4 vs. 21/7 combined oral contraceptives.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the action of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) on cervical mucus. We hypothesized that midcycle cervical mucus of women taking COCs is of poor quality when compared to their own midcycle mucus prior to initiating COCs. We sought to compare the effect upon quality and sperm penetration of the cervical mucus on the last hormone-free day with a 24/4 regimen to a 21/7 regimen. METHODS: This is an open-label, investigator-blinded, randomized, controlled, crossover equivalency study. All subjects received, in random order, 2 months of a 21/7 regimen and 2 months of a 24/4 regimen, each containing 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 1 mg norethindrone acetate. Analysis of cervical mucus quality (CMQ) and sperm penetration took place midcycle and on the last day of the hormone-free interval during the second month of each COC treatment. RESULTS: From April 2010 to November 2011, 18 subjects completed all study visits. Mean midcycle CMQ was poor (mean CMQ=1) and did not differ between 24/4 and 21/7 regimens (p=.92). On the last day of the pill-free interval, the quality and sperm penetration were poor with both regimens. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that thickening of cervical mucus is a major mechanism of contraceptive action of COCs and that both 21/7 and 24/4 regimens result in poor quality and impenetrable mucus on the last day of the pill-free interval.

Infection and extramural delivery with use of digoxin as a feticidal agent.

BACKGROUND: Many abortion providers use digoxin to induce fetal demise prior to dilation and evacuation (D&E). Our primary objective was to examine the frequency of infection and extramural delivery following digoxin use. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective single-cohort study. Inclusion criteria were all women between 18 and 24 weeks of estimated gestational age who received digoxin in preparation for D&E at our outpatient facility. We queried two electronic databases to collect data on the frequency of extramural delivery and the rate of perioperative infection. RESULTS: From January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2008, 4906 abortions were performed between 18 and 24 weeks of estimated gestation with digoxin injection administered as feticidal agent 1 day prior to D&E. Extramural delivery frequency was 0.30%, and infection frequency was 0.04%. There were no significant differences in the frequency of extramural deliveries across procedure year (p = .2), estimated gestational age (p = .3), race/ethnicity (p = .2) or maternal age (p = .3). CONCLUSION: Rates of extramural delivery and infection are acceptably low following digoxin use prior to scheduled D&E.