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Lee U, Li C, Langer CB, Svetec N, Zhao L. Comparative Single Cell Analysis of Transcriptional Bursting Reveals the Role of Genome Organization on de novo Transcript Origination. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.29.591771. [PMID: 38746255 PMCID: PMC11092510 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.591771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a key developmental process underlying the origination of newly evolved genes. However, rapid cell type-specific transcriptomic divergence of the Drosophila germline has posed a significant technical barrier for comparative single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-Seq) studies. By quantifying a surprisingly strong correlation between species-and cell type-specific divergence in three closely related Drosophila species, we apply a simple statistical procedure to identify a core set of 198 genes that are highly predictive of cell type identity while remaining robust to species-specific differences that span over 25-30 million years of evolution. We then utilize cell type classifications based on the 198-gene set to show how transcriptional divergence in cell type increases throughout spermatogenic developmental time, contrasting with traditional hourglass models of whole-organism development. With these cross-species cell type classifications, we then investigate the influence of genome organization on the molecular evolution of spermatogenesis vis-a-vis transcriptional bursting. We first demonstrate how mechanistic control of pre-meiotic transcription is achieved by altering transcriptional burst size while post-meiotic control is exerted via altered bursting frequency. We then report how global differences in autosomal vs. X chromosomal transcription likely arise in a developmental stage preceding full testis organogenesis by showing evolutionarily conserved decreases in X-linked transcription bursting kinetics in all examined somatic and germline cell types. Finally, we provide evidence supporting the cultivator model of de novo gene origination by demonstrating how the appearance of newly evolved testis-specific transcripts potentially provides short-range regulation of the transcriptional bursting properties of neighboring genes during key stages of spermatogenesis.
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2
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Wei KHC, Chatla K, Bachtrog D. Single-cell RNA-seq of Drosophila miranda testis reveals the evolution and trajectory of germline sex chromosome regulation. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002605. [PMID: 38687805 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Although sex chromosomes have evolved from autosomes, they often have unusual regulatory regimes that are sex- and cell-type-specific such as dosage compensation (DC) and meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). The molecular mechanisms and evolutionary forces driving these unique transcriptional programs are critical for genome evolution but have been, in the case of MSCI in Drosophila, subject to continuous debate. Here, we take advantage of the younger sex chromosomes in D. miranda (XR and the neo-X) to infer how former autosomes acquire sex-chromosome-specific regulatory programs using single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing and ribosome profiling, in a comparative evolutionary context. We show that contrary to mammals and worms, the X down-regulation through germline progression is most consistent with the shutdown of DC instead of MSCI, resulting in half gene dosage at the end of meiosis for all 3 X's. Moreover, lowly expressed germline and meiotic genes on the neo-X are ancestrally lowly expressed, instead of acquired suppression after sex linkage. For the young neo-X, DC is incomplete across all tissue and cell types and this dosage imbalance is rescued by contributions from Y-linked gametologs which produce transcripts that are translated to compensate both gene and protein dosage. We find an excess of previously autosomal testis genes becoming Y-specific, showing that the neo-Y and its masculinization likely resolve sexual antagonism. Multicopy neo-sex genes are predominantly expressed during meiotic stages of spermatogenesis, consistent with their amplification being driven to interfere with mendelian segregation. Altogether, this study reveals germline regulation of evolving sex chromosomes and elucidates the consequences these unique regulatory mechanisms have on the evolution of sex chromosome architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin H-C Wei
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kamalakar Chatla
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Doris Bachtrog
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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3
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Kimura A, Go AC, Markow T, Ranz JM. Evidence of Nonrandom Patterns of Functional Chromosome Organization in Danaus plexippus. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae054. [PMID: 38488057 PMCID: PMC10972686 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Our understanding on the interplay between gene functionality and gene arrangement at different chromosome scales relies on a few Diptera and the honeybee, species with quality reference genome assemblies, accurate gene annotations, and abundant transcriptome data. Using recently generated 'omic resources in the monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus, a species with many more and smaller chromosomes relative to Drosophila species and the honeybee, we examined the organization of genes preferentially expressed at broadly defined developmental stages (larva, pupa, adult males, and adult females) at both fine and whole-chromosome scales. We found that developmental stage-regulated genes do not form more clusters, but do form larger clusters, than expected by chance, a pattern consistent across the gene categories examined. Notably, out of the 30 chromosomes in the monarch genome, 12 of them, plus the fraction of the chromosome Z that corresponds to the ancestral Z in other Lepidoptera, were found enriched for developmental stage-regulated genes. These two levels of nonrandom gene organization are not independent as enriched chromosomes for developmental stage-regulated genes tend to harbor disproportionately large clusters of these genes. Further, although paralogous genes were overrepresented in gene clusters, their presence is not enough to explain two-thirds of the documented cases of whole-chromosome enrichment. The composition of the largest clusters often included paralogs from more than one multigene family as well as unrelated single-copy genes. Our results reveal intriguing patterns at the whole-chromosome scale in D. plexippus while shedding light on the interplay between gene expression and chromosome organization beyond Diptera and Hymenoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlyn Kimura
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92647, USA
| | - Alwyn C Go
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9, Canada
| | - Therese Markow
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (Langebio), CINVESTAV, Irapuato, GTO 36824, México
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - José M Ranz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92647, USA
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4
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Robben M, Ramesh B, Pau S, Meletis D, Luber J, Demuth J. scRNA-seq Reveals Novel Genetic Pathways and Sex Chromosome Regulation in Tribolium Spermatogenesis. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae059. [PMID: 38513111 PMCID: PMC10980526 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is critical to sexual reproduction yet evolves rapidly in many organisms. High-throughput single-cell transcriptomics promises unparalleled insight into this important process but understanding can be impeded in nonmodel systems by a lack of known genes that can reliably demarcate biologically meaningful cell populations. Tribolium castaneum, the red flour beetle, lacks known markers for spermatogenesis found in insect species like Drosophila melanogaster. Using single-cell sequencing data collected from adult beetle testes, we implement a strategy for elucidating biologically meaningful cell populations by using transient expression stage identification markers, weighted principal component clustering, and SNP-based haploid/diploid phasing. We identify populations that correspond to observable points in sperm differentiation and find species specific markers for each stage. Our results indicate that molecular pathways underlying spermatogenesis in Coleoptera are substantially diverged from those in Diptera. We also show that most genes on the X chromosome experience meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. Temporal expression of Drosophila MSL complex homologs coupled with spatial analysis of potential chromatin entry sites further suggests that the dosage compensation machinery may mediate escape from meiotic sex chromosome inactivation and postmeiotic reactivation of the X chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Robben
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Balan Ramesh
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Shana Pau
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Demetra Meletis
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Jacob Luber
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Jeffery Demuth
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
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5
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Anderson JT, Henikoff S, Ahmad K. Chromosome-specific maturation of the epigenome in the Drosophila male germline. eLife 2023; 12:RP89373. [PMID: 38032818 PMCID: PMC10688970 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis in the Drosophila male germline proceeds through a unique transcriptional program controlled both by germline-specific transcription factors and by testis-specific versions of core transcriptional machinery. This program includes the activation of genes on the heterochromatic Y chromosome, and reduced transcription from the X chromosome, but how expression from these sex chromosomes is regulated has not been defined. To resolve this, we profiled active chromatin features in the testes from wildtype and meiotic arrest mutants and integrate this with single-cell gene expression data from the Fly Cell Atlas. These data assign the timing of promoter activation for genes with germline-enriched expression throughout spermatogenesis, and general alterations of promoter regulation in germline cells. By profiling both active RNA polymerase II and histone modifications in isolated spermatocytes, we detail widespread patterns associated with regulation of the sex chromosomes. Our results demonstrate that the X chromosome is not enriched for silencing histone modifications, implying that sex chromosome inactivation does not occur in the Drosophila male germline. Instead, a lack of dosage compensation in spermatocytes accounts for the reduced expression from this chromosome. Finally, profiling uncovers dramatic ubiquitinylation of histone H2A and lysine-16 acetylation of histone H4 across the Y chromosome in spermatocytes that may contribute to the activation of this heterochromatic chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- James T Anderson
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Kami Ahmad
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleUnited States
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6
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Nelson JO, Kumon T, Yamashita YM. rDNA magnification is a unique feature of germline stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2314440120. [PMID: 37967216 PMCID: PMC10666004 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314440120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) encodes ribosomal RNA and exists as tandem repeats of hundreds of copies in the eukaryotic genome to meet the high demand of ribosome biogenesis. Tandemly repeated DNA elements are inherently unstable; thus, mechanisms must exist to maintain rDNA copy number (CN), in particular in the germline that continues through generations. A phenomenon called rDNA magnification was discovered over 50 y ago in Drosophila as a process that recovers the rDNA CN on chromosomes that harbor minimal CN. Our recent studies indicated that rDNA magnification is the mechanism to maintain rDNA CN under physiological conditions to counteract spontaneous CN loss that occurs during aging. Our previous studies that explored the mechanism of rDNA magnification implied that asymmetric division of germline stem cells (GSCs) may be particularly suited to achieve rDNA magnification. However, it remains elusive whether GSCs are the unique cell type that undergoes rDNA magnification or differentiating germ cells are also capable of magnification. In this study, we provide empirical evidence that suggests that rDNA magnification operates uniquely in GSCs, but not in differentiating germ cells. We further provide computer simulation that suggests that rDNA magnification is only achievable through asymmetric GSC divisions. We propose that despite known plasticity and transcriptomic similarity between GSCs and differentiating germ cells, GSCs' unique ability to divide asymmetrically serves a critical role of maintaining rDNA CN through generations, supporting germline immortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan O Nelson
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
| | - Tomohiro Kumon
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
| | - Yukiko M Yamashita
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
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7
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Clifton BD, Hariyani I, Kimura A, Luo F, Nguyen A, Ranz JM. Paralog transcriptional differentiation in the D. melanogaster-specific gene family Sdic across populations and spermatogenesis stages. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1069. [PMID: 37864070 PMCID: PMC10589255 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05427-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
How recently originated gene copies become stable genomic components remains uncertain as high sequence similarity of young duplicates precludes their functional characterization. The tandem multigene family Sdic is specific to Drosophila melanogaster and has been annotated across multiple reference-quality genome assemblies. Here we show the existence of a positive correlation between Sdic copy number and total expression, plus vast intrastrain differences in mRNA abundance among paralogs, using RNA-sequencing from testis of four strains with variable paralog composition. Single cell and nucleus RNA-sequencing data expose paralog expression differentiation in meiotic cell types within testis from third instar larva and adults. Additional RNA-sequencing across synthetic strains only differing in their Y chromosomes reveal a tissue-dependent trans-regulatory effect on Sdic: upregulation in testis and downregulation in male accessory gland. By leveraging paralog-specific expression information from tissue- and cell-specific data, our results elucidate the intraspecific functional diversification of a recently expanded tandem gene family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan D Clifton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
| | - Imtiyaz Hariyani
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Ashlyn Kimura
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Fangning Luo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Alvin Nguyen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - José M Ranz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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8
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Anderson J, Henikoff S, Ahmad K. Chromosome-specific maturation of the epigenome in the Drosophila male germline. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.24.529909. [PMID: 37873332 PMCID: PMC10592605 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.24.529909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis in the Drosophila male germline proceeds through a unique transcriptional program controlled both by germline-specific transcription factors and by testis-specific versions of core transcriptional machinery. This program includes the activation of genes on the heterochromatic Y chromosome, and reduced transcription from the X chromosome, but how expression from these sex chromosomes is regulated has not been defined. To resolve this, we profiled active chromatin features in the testes from wildtype and meiotic arrest mutants and integrate this with single-cell gene expression data from the Fly Cell Atlas. These data assign the timing of promoter activation for genes with germline-enriched expression throughout spermatogenesis, and general alterations of promoter regulation in germline cells. By profiling both active RNA polymerase II and histone modifications in isolated spermatocytes, we detail widespread patterns associated with regulation of the sex chromosomes. Our results demonstrate that the X chromosome is not enriched for silencing histone modifications, implying that sex chromosome inactivation does not occur in the Drosophila male germline. Instead, a lack of dosage compensation in spermatocytes accounts for the reduced expression from this chromosome. Finally, profiling uncovers dramatic ubiquitinylation of histone H2A and lysine-16 acetylation of histone H4 across the Y chromosome in spermatocytes that may contribute to the activation of this heterochromatic chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Anderson
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Kami Ahmad
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
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9
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Page N, Taxiarchi C, Tonge D, Kuburic J, Chesters E, Kriezis A, Kyrou K, Game L, Nolan T, Galizi R. Single-cell profiling of Anopheles gambiae spermatogenesis defines the onset of meiotic silencing and premeiotic overexpression of the X chromosome. Commun Biol 2023; 6:850. [PMID: 37582841 PMCID: PMC10427639 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05224-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding development and genetic regulation in the Anopheles gambiae germline is essential to engineer effective genetic control strategies targeting this malaria mosquito vector. These include targeting the germline to induce sterility or using regulatory sequences to drive transgene expression for applications such as gene drive. However, only very few germline-specific regulatory elements have been characterised with the majority showing leaky expression. This has been shown to considerably reduce the efficiency of current genetic control strategies, which rely on regulatory elements with more tightly restricted spatial and/or temporal expression. Meiotic silencing of the sex chromosomes limits the flexibility of transgene expression to develop effective sex-linked genetic control strategies. Here, we build on our previous study, dissecting gametogenesis into four distinct cell populations, using single-cell RNA sequencing to define eight distinct cell clusters and associated germline cell-types using available marker genes. We reveal overexpression of X-linked genes in a distinct cluster of pre-meiotic cells and document the onset of meiotic silencing of the X chromosome in a subcluster of cells in the latter stages of spermatogenesis. This study provides a comprehensive dataset, characterising the expression of distinct cell types through spermatogenesis and widening the toolkit for genetic control of malaria mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Page
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Daniel Tonge
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK
| | - Jasmina Kuburic
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK
| | - Emily Chesters
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK
| | - Antonios Kriezis
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kyros Kyrou
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Laurence Game
- Genomics Facility, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Nolan
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Roberto Galizi
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK.
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10
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Cridland JM, Contino CE, Begun DJ. Selection and geography shape male reproductive tract transcriptomes in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2023; 224:iyad034. [PMID: 36869688 PMCID: PMC10474930 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptome analysis of several animal clades suggests that male reproductive tract gene expression evolves quickly. However, the factors influencing the abundance and distribution of within-species variation, the ultimate source of interspecific divergence, are poorly known. Drosophila melanogaster, an ancestrally African species that has recently spread throughout the world and colonized the Americas in the last roughly 100 years, exhibits phenotypic and genetic latitudinal clines on multiple continents, consistent with a role for spatially varying selection in shaping its biology. Nevertheless, geographic expression variation in the Americas is poorly described, as is its relationship to African expression variation. Here, we investigate these issues through the analysis of two male reproductive tissue transcriptomes [testis and accessory gland (AG)] in samples from Maine (USA), Panama, and Zambia. We find dramatic differences between these tissues in differential expression between Maine and Panama, with the accessory glands exhibiting abundant expression differentiation and the testis exhibiting very little. Latitudinal expression differentiation appears to be influenced by the selection of Panama expression phenotypes. While the testis shows little latitudinal expression differentiation, it exhibits much greater differentiation than the accessory gland in Zambia vs American population comparisons. Expression differentiation for both tissues is non-randomly distributed across the genome on a chromosome arm scale. Interspecific expression divergence between D. melanogaster and D. simulans is discordant with rates of differentiation between D. melanogaster populations. Strongly heterogeneous expression differentiation across tissues and timescales suggests a complex evolutionary process involving major temporal changes in the way selection influences expression evolution in these organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Cridland
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Colin E Contino
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - David J Begun
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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11
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Breznak SM, Kotb NM, Rangan P. Dynamic regulation of ribosome levels and translation during development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 136:27-37. [PMID: 35725716 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The ability of ribosomes to translate mRNAs into proteins is the basis of all life. While ribosomes are essential for cell viability, reduction in levels of ribosomes can affect cell fate and developmental transitions in a tissue specific manner and can cause a plethora of related diseases called ribosomopathies. How dysregulated ribosomes homeostasis influences cell fate and developmental transitions is not fully understood. Model systems such as Drosophila and C. elegans oogenesis have been used to address these questions since defects in conserved steps in ribosome biogenesis result in stem cell differentiation and developmental defects. In this review, we first explore how ribosome levels affect stem cell differentiation. Second, we describe how ribosomal modifications and incorporation of ribosomal protein paralogs contribute to development. Third, we summarize how cells with perturbed ribosome biogenesis are sensed and eliminated during organismal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane M Breznak
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Noor M Kotb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, The School of Public Health, University at Albany SUNY, 11 Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Prashanth Rangan
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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12
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Raz AA, Vida GS, Stern SR, Mahadevaraju S, Fingerhut JM, Viveiros JM, Pal S, Grey JR, Grace MR, Berry CW, Li H, Janssens J, Saelens W, Shao Z, Hu C, Yamashita YM, Przytycka T, Oliver B, Brill JA, Krause H, Matunis EL, White-Cooper H, DiNardo S, Fuller MT. Emergent dynamics of adult stem cell lineages from single nucleus and single cell RNA-Seq of Drosophila testes. eLife 2023; 12:e82201. [PMID: 36795469 PMCID: PMC9934865 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper differentiation of sperm from germline stem cells, essential for production of the next generation, requires dramatic changes in gene expression that drive remodeling of almost all cellular components, from chromatin to organelles to cell shape itself. Here, we provide a single nucleus and single cell RNA-seq resource covering all of spermatogenesis in Drosophila starting from in-depth analysis of adult testis single nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-seq) data from the Fly Cell Atlas (FCA) study. With over 44,000 nuclei and 6000 cells analyzed, the data provide identification of rare cell types, mapping of intermediate steps in differentiation, and the potential to identify new factors impacting fertility or controlling differentiation of germline and supporting somatic cells. We justify assignment of key germline and somatic cell types using combinations of known markers, in situ hybridization, and analysis of extant protein traps. Comparison of single cell and single nucleus datasets proved particularly revealing of dynamic developmental transitions in germline differentiation. To complement the web-based portals for data analysis hosted by the FCA, we provide datasets compatible with commonly used software such as Seurat and Monocle. The foundation provided here will enable communities studying spermatogenesis to interrogate the datasets to identify candidate genes to test for function in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie A Raz
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteCambridgeUnited States
| | - Gabriela S Vida
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Perelman School of Medicine and The Penn Institute for Regenerative MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Sarah R Stern
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Sharvani Mahadevaraju
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jaclyn M Fingerhut
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteCambridgeUnited States
| | - Jennifer M Viveiros
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Soumitra Pal
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jasmine R Grey
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Mara R Grace
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Cameron W Berry
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Hongjie Li
- Huffington Center on Aging and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Jasper Janssens
- JVIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, and the Department of Human Genetics, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Wouter Saelens
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, and Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - Zhantao Shao
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Chun Hu
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Yukiko M Yamashita
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteCambridgeUnited States
| | - Teresa Przytycka
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Brian Oliver
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Julie A Brill
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Henry Krause
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Erika L Matunis
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | | | - Stephen DiNardo
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Perelman School of Medicine and The Penn Institute for Regenerative MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Margaret T Fuller
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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13
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Mrnjavac A, Khudiakova KA, Barton NH, Vicoso B. Slower-X: reduced efficiency of selection in the early stages of X chromosome evolution. Evol Lett 2023; 7:4-12. [PMID: 37065438 PMCID: PMC10091493 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrac004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Differentiated X chromosomes are expected to have higher rates of adaptive divergence than autosomes, if new beneficial mutations are recessive (the “faster-X effect”), largely because these mutations are immediately exposed to selection in males. The evolution of X chromosomes after they stop recombining in males, but before they become hemizygous, has not been well explored theoretically. We use the diffusion approximation to infer substitution rates of beneficial and deleterious mutations under such a scenario. Our results show that selection is less efficient on diploid X loci than on autosomal and hemizygous X loci under a wide range of parameters. This “slower-X” effect is stronger for genes affecting primarily (or only) male fitness, and for sexually antagonistic genes. These unusual dynamics suggest that some of the peculiar features of X chromosomes, such as the differential accumulation of genes with sex-specific functions, may start arising earlier than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Mrnjavac
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria , Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg , Austria
| | - Ksenia A Khudiakova
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria , Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg , Austria
| | - Nicholas H Barton
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria , Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg , Austria
| | - Beatriz Vicoso
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria , Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg , Austria
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14
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Qian SH, Chen L, Xiong YL, Chen ZX. Evolution and function of developmentally dynamic pseudogenes in mammals. Genome Biol 2022; 23:235. [PMID: 36348461 PMCID: PMC9641868 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02802-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pseudogenes are excellent markers for genome evolution, which are emerging as crucial regulators of development and disease, especially cancer. However, systematic functional characterization and evolution of pseudogenes remain largely unexplored. RESULTS To systematically characterize pseudogenes, we date the origin of human and mouse pseudogenes across vertebrates and observe a burst of pseudogene gain in these two lineages. Based on a hybrid sequencing dataset combining full-length PacBio sequencing, sample-matched Illumina sequencing, and public time-course transcriptome data, we observe that abundant mammalian pseudogenes could be transcribed, which contribute to the establishment of organ identity. Our analyses reveal that developmentally dynamic pseudogenes are evolutionarily conserved and show an increasing weight during development. Besides, they are involved in complex transcriptional and post-transcriptional modulation, exhibiting the signatures of functional enrichment. Coding potential evaluation suggests that 19% of human pseudogenes could be translated, thus serving as a new way for protein innovation. Moreover, pseudogenes carry disease-associated SNPs and conduce to cancer transcriptome perturbation. CONCLUSIONS Our discovery reveals an unexpectedly high abundance of mammalian pseudogenes that can be transcribed and translated, and these pseudogenes represent a novel regulatory layer. Our study also prioritizes developmentally dynamic pseudogenes with signatures of functional enrichment and provides a hybrid sequencing dataset for further unraveling their biological mechanisms in organ development and carcinogenesis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Hu Qian
- grid.35155.370000 0004 1790 4137Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 PR China ,grid.35155.370000 0004 1790 4137Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 PR China
| | - Lu Chen
- grid.35155.370000 0004 1790 4137Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 PR China ,grid.35155.370000 0004 1790 4137Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 PR China
| | - Yu-Li Xiong
- grid.35155.370000 0004 1790 4137Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 PR China ,grid.35155.370000 0004 1790 4137Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 PR China
| | - Zhen-Xia Chen
- grid.35155.370000 0004 1790 4137Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 PR China ,grid.35155.370000 0004 1790 4137Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 PR China ,grid.35155.370000 0004 1790 4137Interdisciplinary Sciences Institute, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 PR China ,grid.35155.370000 0004 1790 4137Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Shenzhen, 518124 PR China ,grid.488316.00000 0004 4912 1102Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124 PR China
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15
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Dosage Compensation in Drosophila: Its Canonical and Non-Canonical Mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810976. [PMID: 36142884 PMCID: PMC9506574 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dosage compensation equalizes gene expression in a single male X chromosome with that in the pairs of autosomes and female X chromosomes. In the fruit fly Drosophila, canonical dosage compensation is implemented by the male-specific lethal (MSL) complex functioning in all male somatic cells. This complex contains acetyl transferase males absent on the first (MOF), which performs H4K16 hyperacetylation specifically in the male X chromosome, thus facilitating transcription of the X-linked genes. However, accumulating evidence points to an existence of additional, non-canonical dosage compensation mechanisms operating in somatic and germline cells. In this review, we discuss current advances in the understanding of both canonical and non-canonical mechanisms of dosage compensation in Drosophila.
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16
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Lee S, Chen YC, Gillen AE, Taliaferro JM, Deplancke B, Li H, Lai EC. Diverse cell-specific patterns of alternative polyadenylation in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5372. [PMID: 36100597 PMCID: PMC9470587 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32305-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Most genes in higher eukaryotes express isoforms with distinct 3' untranslated regions (3' UTRs), generated by alternative polyadenylation (APA). Since 3' UTRs are predominant locations of post-transcriptional regulation, APA can render such programs conditional, and can also alter protein sequences via alternative last exon (ALE) isoforms. We previously used 3'-sequencing from diverse Drosophila samples to define multiple tissue-specific APA landscapes. Here, we exploit comprehensive single nucleus RNA-sequencing data (Fly Cell Atlas) to elucidate cell-type expression of 3' UTRs across >250 adult Drosophila cell types. We reveal the cellular bases of multiple tissue-specific APA/ALE programs, such as 3' UTR lengthening in differentiated neurons and 3' UTR shortening in spermatocytes and spermatids. We trace dynamic 3' UTR patterns across cell lineages, including in the male germline, and discover new APA patterns in the intestinal stem cell lineage. Finally, we correlate expression of RNA binding proteins (RBPs), miRNAs and global levels of cleavage and polyadenylation (CPA) factors in several cell types that exhibit characteristic APA landscapes, yielding candidate regulators of transcriptome complexity. These analyses provide a comprehensive foundation for future investigations of mechanisms and biological impacts of alternative 3' isoforms across the major cell types of this widely-studied model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungjae Lee
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Ave, Box 252, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yen-Chung Chen
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, 10013, USA
| | | | - Austin E Gillen
- Division of Hematology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA.,RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - J Matthew Taliaferro
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Bart Deplancke
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bio-engineering & Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, EPFL, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hongjie Li
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Eric C Lai
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, 1275 York Ave, Box 252, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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17
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Functional Diversity and Evolution of the Drosophila Sperm Proteome. Mol Cell Proteomics 2022; 21:100281. [PMID: 35985624 PMCID: PMC9494239 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2022.100281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Spermatozoa are central to fertilization and the evolutionary fitness of sexually reproducing organisms. As such, a deeper understanding of sperm proteomes (and associated reproductive tissues) has proven critical to the advancement of the fields of sexual selection and reproductive biology. Due to their extraordinary complexity, proteome depth-of-coverage is dependent on advancements in technology and related bioinformatics, both of which have made significant advancements in the decade since the last Drosophila sperm proteome was published. Here, we provide an updated version of the Drosophila melanogaster sperm proteome (DmSP3) using improved separation and detection methods and an updated genome annotation. Combined with previous versions of the sperm proteome, the DmSP3 contains a total of 3176 proteins, and we provide the first label-free quantitation of the sperm proteome for 2125 proteins. The top 20 most abundant proteins included the structural elements α- and β-tubulins and sperm leucyl-aminopeptidases. Both gene content and protein abundance were significantly reduced on the X chromosome, consistent with prior genomic studies of X chromosome evolution. We identified 9 of the 16 Y-linked proteins, including known testis-specific male fertility factors. We also identified almost one-half of known Drosophila ribosomal proteins in the DmSP3. The role of this subset of ribosomal proteins in sperm is unknown. Surprisingly, our expanded sperm proteome also identified 122 seminal fluid proteins (Sfps), proteins originally identified in the accessory glands. We show that a significant fraction of 'sperm-associated Sfps' are recalcitrant to concentrated salt and detergent treatments, suggesting this subclass of Sfps are expressed in testes and may have additional functions in sperm, per se. Overall, our results add to a growing landscape of both sperm and seminal fluid protein biology and in particular provides quantitative evidence at the protein level for prior findings supporting the meiotic sex-chromosome inactivation model for male-specific gene and X chromosome evolution.
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18
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Parker DJ, Jaron KS, Dumas Z, Robinson‐Rechavi M, Schwander T. X chromosomes show relaxed selection and complete somatic dosage compensation across
Timema
stick insect species. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1734-1750. [PMID: 35933721 PMCID: PMC10087215 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sex chromosomes have evolved repeatedly across the tree of life. As they are present in different copy numbers in males and females, they are expected to experience different selection pressures than the autosomes, with consequences including a faster rate of evolution, increased accumulation of sexually antagonistic alleles and the evolution of dosage compensation. Whether these consequences are general or linked to idiosyncrasies of specific taxa is not clear as relatively few taxa have been studied thus far. Here, we use whole-genome sequencing to identify and characterize the evolution of the X chromosome in five species of Timema stick insects with XX:X0 sex determination. The X chromosome had a similar size (approximately 12% of the genome) and gene content across all five species, suggesting that the X chromosome originated prior to the diversification of the genus. Genes on the X showed evidence of relaxed selection (elevated dN/dS) and a slower evolutionary rate (dN + dS) than genes on the autosomes, likely due to sex-biased mutation rates. Genes on the X also showed almost complete dosage compensation in somatic tissues (heads and legs), but dosage compensation was absent in the reproductive tracts. Contrary to prediction, sex-biased genes showed little enrichment on the X, suggesting that the advantage X-linkage provides to the accumulation of sexually antagonistic alleles is weak. Overall, we found the consequences of X-linkage on gene sequences and expression to be similar across Timema species, showing the characteristics of the X chromosome are surprisingly consistent over 30 million years of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren J. Parker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Lausanne Switzerland
- School of Natural Sciences Bangor University Bangor UK
| | - Kamil S. Jaron
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Lausanne Switzerland
- School of Biological Sciences Institute of Evolutionary Biology University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Zoé Dumas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson‐Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
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19
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Huang Y, Shang R, Lu GA, Zeng W, Huang C, Zou C, Tang T. Spatiotemporal Regulation of a Single Adaptively Evolving Trans-Regulatory Element Contributes to Spermatogenetic Expression Divergence in Drosophila. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6605656. [PMID: 35687719 PMCID: PMC9254010 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to extensive pleiotropy, trans-acting elements are often thought to be evolutionarily constrained. While the impact of trans-acting elements on gene expression evolution has been extensively studied, relatively little is understood about the contribution of a single trans regulator to interspecific expression and phenotypic divergence. Here, we disentangle the effects of genomic context and miR-983, an adaptively evolving young microRNA, on expression divergence between Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans. We show miR-983 effects promote interspecific expression divergence in testis despite its antagonism with the often-predominant context effects. Single-cyst RNA-seq reveals that distinct sets of genes gain and lose miR-983 influence under disruptive or diversifying selection at different stages of spermatogenesis, potentially helping minimize antagonistic pleiotropy. At the round spermatid stage, the effects of miR-983 are weak and distributed, coincident with the transcriptome undergoing drastic expression changes. Knocking out miR-983 causes reduced sperm length with increased within-individual variation in D. melanogaster but not in D. simulans, and the D. melanogaster knockout also exhibits compromised sperm defense ability. Our results provide empirical evidence for the resolution of antagonistic pleiotropy and also have broad implications for the function and evolution of new trans regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Rui Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Guang-An Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Weishun Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Chenglong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Chuangchao Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Tian Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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20
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Wang M, Hu Q, Lv T, Wang Y, Lan Q, Xiang R, Tu Z, Wei Y, Han K, Shi C, Guo J, Liu C, Yang T, Du W, An Y, Cheng M, Xu J, Lu H, Li W, Zhang S, Chen A, Chen W, Li Y, Wang X, Xu X, Hu Y, Liu L. High-resolution 3D spatiotemporal transcriptomic maps of developing Drosophila embryos and larvae. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1271-1283.e4. [PMID: 35512700 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila has long been a successful model organism in multiple biomedical fields. Spatial gene expression patterns are critical for the understanding of complex pathways and interactions, whereas temporal gene expression changes are vital for studying highly dynamic physiological activities. Systematic studies in Drosophila are still impeded by the lack of spatiotemporal transcriptomic information. Here, utilizing spatial enhanced resolution omics-sequencing (Stereo-seq), we dissected the spatiotemporal transcriptomic changes of developing Drosophila with high resolution and sensitivity. We demonstrated that Stereo-seq data can be used for the 3D reconstruction of the spatial transcriptomes of Drosophila embryos and larvae. With these 3D models, we identified functional subregions in embryonic and larval midguts, uncovered spatial cell state dynamics of larval testis, and revealed known and potential regulons of transcription factors within their topographic background. Our data provide the Drosophila research community with useful resources of organism-wide spatiotemporally resolved transcriptomic information across developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qinan Hu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518005, China
| | - Tianhang Lv
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuhang Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Qing Lan
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | | | - Zhencheng Tu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanrong Wei
- BGI College & Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Kai Han
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China
| | - Chang Shi
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Junfu Guo
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Chao Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Tao Yang
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Wensi Du
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Yanru An
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Mengnan Cheng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiangshan Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Haorong Lu
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Wangsheng Li
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Shaofang Zhang
- China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Ao Chen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | | | | | - Xun Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Yuhui Hu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518005, China.
| | - Longqi Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Single-Cell Omics, Shenzhen 518083, China.
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21
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Kotov AA, Bazylev SS, Adashev VE, Shatskikh AS, Olenina LV. Drosophila as a Model System for Studying of the Evolution and Functional Specialization of the Y Chromosome. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084184. [PMID: 35457001 PMCID: PMC9031259 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Y chromosome is one of the sex chromosomes found in males of animals of different taxa, including insects and mammals. Among all chromosomes, the Y chromosome is characterized by a unique chromatin landscape undergoing dynamic evolutionary change. Being entirely heterochromatic, the Y chromosome as a rule preserves few functional genes, but is enriched in tandem repeats and transposons. Due to difficulties in the assembly of the highly repetitive Y chromosome sequence, deep analyses of Y chromosome evolution, structure, and functions are limited to a few species, one of them being Drosophila melanogaster. Despite Y chromosomes exhibiting high structural divergence between even closely related species, Y-linked genes have evolved convergently and are mainly associated with spermatogenesis-related activities. This indicates that male-specific selection is a dominant force shaping evolution of Y chromosomes across species. This review presents our analysis of current knowledge concerning Y chromosome functions, focusing on recent findings in Drosophila. Here we dissect the experimental and bioinformatics data about the Y chromosome accumulated to date in Drosophila species, providing comparative analysis with mammals, and discussing the relevance of our analysis to a wide range of eukaryotic organisms, including humans.
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22
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COX4-like, a Nuclear-Encoded Mitochondrial Gene Duplicate, Is Essential for Male Fertility in Drosophila melanogaster. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13030424. [PMID: 35327978 PMCID: PMC8950493 DOI: 10.3390/genes13030424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies on nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes (N-mt genes) in Drosophila melanogaster have shown a unique pattern of expression for newly duplicated N-mt genes, with many duplicates having a testis-biased expression and playing an essential role in spermatogenesis. In this study, we investigated a newly duplicated N-mt gene—i.e., Cytochrome c oxidase 4-like (COX4L)—in order to understand its function and, consequently, the reason behind its retention in the D. melanogaster genome. The COX4L gene is a duplicate of the Cytochrome c oxidase 4 (COX4) gene of OXPHOS complex IV. While the parental COX4 gene has been found in all eukaryotes, including single-cell eukaryotes such as yeast, we show that COX4L is only present in the Brachycera suborder of Diptera; thus, both genes are present in all Drosophila species, but have significantly different patterns of expression: COX4 is highly expressed in all tissues, while COX4L has a testis-specific expression. To understand the function of this new gene, we first knocked down its expression in the D. melanogaster germline using two different RNAi lines driven by the bam-Gal4 driver; second, we created a knockout strain for this gene using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Our results showed that knockdown and knockout lines of COX4L produce partial sterility and complete sterility in males, respectively, where a lack of sperm individualization was observed in both cases. Male infertility was prevented by driving COX4L-HA in the germline, but not when driving COX4-HA. In addition, ectopic expression of COX4L in the soma caused embryonic lethality, while overexpression in the germline led to a reduction in male fertility. COX4L-KO mitochondria show reduced membrane potential, providing a plausible explanation for the male sterility observed in these flies. This prominent loss-of-function phenotype, along with its testis-biased expression and its presence in the Drosophila sperm proteome, suggests that COX4L is a paralogous, specialized gene that is assembled in OXPHOS complex IV of male germline cells and/or sperm mitochondria.
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23
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Chang CH, Gregory LE, Gordon KE, Meiklejohn CD, Larracuente AM. Unique structure and positive selection promote the rapid divergence of Drosophila Y chromosomes. eLife 2022; 11:e75795. [PMID: 34989337 PMCID: PMC8794474 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Y chromosomes across diverse species convergently evolve a gene-poor, heterochromatic organization enriched for duplicated genes, LTR retrotransposons, and satellite DNA. Sexual antagonism and a loss of recombination play major roles in the degeneration of young Y chromosomes. However, the processes shaping the evolution of mature, already degenerated Y chromosomes are less well-understood. Because Y chromosomes evolve rapidly, comparisons between closely related species are particularly useful. We generated de novo long-read assemblies complemented with cytological validation to reveal Y chromosome organization in three closely related species of the Drosophila simulans complex, which diverged only 250,000 years ago and share >98% sequence identity. We find these Y chromosomes are divergent in their organization and repetitive DNA composition and discover new Y-linked gene families whose evolution is driven by both positive selection and gene conversion. These Y chromosomes are also enriched for large deletions, suggesting that the repair of double-strand breaks on Y chromosomes may be biased toward microhomology-mediated end joining over canonical non-homologous end-joining. We propose that this repair mechanism contributes to the convergent evolution of Y chromosome organization across organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Ho Chang
- Department of Biology, University of RochesterRochesterUnited States
| | - Lauren E Gregory
- Department of Biology, University of RochesterRochesterUnited States
| | - Kathleen E Gordon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-LincolnLincolnUnited States
| | - Colin D Meiklejohn
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-LincolnLincolnUnited States
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24
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Cridland JM, Majane AC, Zhao L, Begun DJ. Population biology of accessory gland-expressed de novo genes in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2022; 220:iyab207. [PMID: 34791207 PMCID: PMC8733444 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Early work on de novo gene discovery in Drosophila was consistent with the idea that many such genes have male-biased patterns of expression, including a large number expressed in the testis. However, there has been little formal analysis of variation in the abundance and properties of de novo genes expressed in different tissues. Here, we investigate the population biology of recently evolved de novo genes expressed in the Drosophila melanogaster accessory gland, a somatic male tissue that plays an important role in male and female fertility and the post mating response of females, using the same collection of inbred lines used previously to identify testis-expressed de novo genes, thus allowing for direct cross tissue comparisons of these genes in two tissues of male reproduction. Using RNA-seq data, we identify candidate de novo genes located in annotated intergenic and intronic sequence and determine the properties of these genes including chromosomal location, expression, abundance, and coding capacity. Generally, we find major differences between the tissues in terms of gene abundance and expression, though other properties such as transcript length and chromosomal distribution are more similar. We also explore differences between regulatory mechanisms of de novo genes in the two tissues and how such differences may interact with selection to produce differences in D. melanogaster de novo genes expressed in the two tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Cridland
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Alex C Majane
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Li Zhao
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - David J Begun
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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25
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Ilyin AA, Kononkova AD, Golova AV, Shloma VV, Olenkina O, Nenasheva V, Abramov Y, Kotov AA, Maksimov D, Laktionov P, Pindyurin A, Galitsyna A, Ulianov S, Khrameeva E, Gelfand M, Belyakin S, Razin S, Shevelyov Y. OUP accepted manuscript. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:3203-3225. [PMID: 35166842 PMCID: PMC8989536 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic chromosomes are spatially segregated into topologically associating domains (TADs). Some TADs are attached to the nuclear lamina (NL) through lamina-associated domains (LADs). Here, we identified LADs and TADs at two stages of Drosophila spermatogenesis – in bamΔ86 mutant testes which is the commonly used model of spermatogonia (SpG) and in larval testes mainly filled with spermatocytes (SpCs). We found that initiation of SpC-specific transcription correlates with promoters’ detachment from the NL and with local spatial insulation of adjacent regions. However, this insulation does not result in the partitioning of inactive TADs into sub-TADs. We also revealed an increased contact frequency between SpC-specific genes in SpCs implying their de novo gathering into transcription factories. In addition, we uncovered the specific X chromosome organization in the male germline. In SpG and SpCs, a single X chromosome is stronger associated with the NL than autosomes. Nevertheless, active chromatin regions in the X chromosome interact with each other more frequently than in autosomes. Moreover, despite the absence of dosage compensation complex in the male germline, randomly inserted SpG-specific reporter is expressed higher in the X chromosome than in autosomes, thus evidencing that non-canonical dosage compensation operates in SpG.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Valentina V Nenasheva
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Yuri A Abramov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Alexei A Kotov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Daniil A Maksimov
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Petr P Laktionov
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Alexey V Pindyurin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | | | - Sergey V Ulianov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow119334, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia
| | - Ekaterina E Khrameeva
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Ekaterina Khrameeva. Tel: +7 495 2801481; Fax: +7 495 2801481;
| | - Mikhail S Gelfand
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo 143026, Russia
- A.A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127051, Russia
| | - Stepan N Belyakin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Sergey V Razin
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow119334, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia
| | - Yuri Y Shevelyov
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +7 499 1960809; Fax: +7 499 1960221;
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26
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Majane AC, Cridland JM, Begun DJ. Single-nucleus transcriptomes reveal evolutionary and functional properties of cell types in the Drosophila accessory gland. Genetics 2021; 220:6440054. [PMID: 34849871 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Many traits responsible for male reproduction evolve quickly, including gene expression phenotypes in germline and somatic male reproductive tissues. Rapid male evolution in polyandrous species is thought to be driven by competition among males for fertilizations and conflicts between male and female fitness interests that manifest in post-copulatory phenotypes. In Drosophila, seminal fluid proteins secreted by three major cell types of the male accessory gland and ejaculatory duct are required for female sperm storage and use, and influence female post-copulatory traits. Recent work has shown that these cell types have overlapping but distinct effects on female post-copulatory biology, yet relatively little is known about their evolutionary properties. Here we use single-nucleus RNA-Seq of the accessory gland and ejaculatory duct from Drosophila melanogaster and two closely related species to comprehensively describe the cell diversity of these tissues and their transcriptome evolution for the first time. We find that seminal fluid transcripts are strongly partitioned across the major cell types, and expression of many other genes additionally define each cell type. We also report previously undocumented diversity in main cells. Transcriptome divergence was found to be heterogeneous across cell types and lineages, revealing a complex evolutionary process. Furthermore, protein adaptation varied across cell types, with potential consequences for our understanding of selection on male post-copulatory traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex C Majane
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Julie M Cridland
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - David J Begun
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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27
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Lawlor MA, Cao W, Ellison CE. A transposon expression burst accompanies the activation of Y-chromosome fertility genes during Drosophila spermatogenesis. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6854. [PMID: 34824217 PMCID: PMC8617248 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27136-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) must replicate in germline cells to pass novel insertions to offspring. In Drosophila melanogaster ovaries, TEs can exploit specific developmental windows of opportunity to evade host silencing and increase their copy numbers. However, TE activity and host silencing in the distinct cell types of Drosophila testis are not well understood. Here, we reanalyze publicly available single-cell RNA-seq datasets to quantify TE expression in the distinct cell types of the Drosophila testis. We develop a method for identification of TE and host gene expression modules and find that a distinct population of early spermatocytes expresses a large number of TEs at much higher levels than other germline and somatic components of the testes. This burst of TE expression coincides with the activation of Y chromosome fertility factors and spermatocyte-specific transcriptional regulators, as well as downregulation of many components of the piRNA pathway. The TEs expressed by this cell population are specifically enriched on the Y chromosome and depleted on the X chromosome, relative to other active TEs. These data suggest that some TEs may achieve high insertional activity in males by exploiting a window of opportunity for mobilization created by the activation of spermatocyte-specific and Y chromosome-specific transcriptional programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Lawlor
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Weihuan Cao
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Christopher E Ellison
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
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28
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X Chromosome Inactivation during Grasshopper Spermatogenesis. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12121844. [PMID: 34946793 PMCID: PMC8700825 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of transcriptional activity during meiosis depends on the interrelated processes of recombination and synapsis. In eutherian mammal spermatocytes, transcription levels change during prophase-I, being low at the onset of meiosis but highly increased from pachytene up to the end of diplotene. However, X and Y chromosomes, which usually present unsynapsed regions throughout prophase-I in male meiosis, undergo a specific pattern of transcriptional inactivation. The interdependence of synapsis and transcription has mainly been studied in mammals, basically in mouse, but our knowledge in other unrelated phylogenetically species is more limited. To gain new insights on this issue, here we analyzed the relationship between synapsis and transcription in spermatocytes of the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans. Autosomal chromosomes of this species achieve complete synapsis; however, the single X sex chromosome remains always unsynapsed and behaves as a univalent. We studied transcription in meiosis by immunolabeling with RNA polymerase II phosphorylated at serine 2 and found that whereas autosomes are active from leptotene up to diakinesis, the X chromosome is inactive throughout meiosis. This inactivation is accompanied by the accumulation of, at least, two repressive epigenetic modifications: H3 methylated at lysine 9 and H2AX phosphorylated at serine 139. Furthermore, we identified that X chromosome inactivation occurs in premeiotic spermatogonia. Overall, our results indicate: (i) transcription regulation in E. plorans spermatogenesis differs from the canonical pattern found in mammals and (ii) X chromosome inactivation is likely preceded by a process of heterochromatinization before the initiation of meiosis.
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29
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Su Q, He H, Zhou Q. On the Origin and Evolution of Drosophila New Genes during Spermatogenesis. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1796. [PMID: 34828402 PMCID: PMC8621406 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The origin of functional new genes is a basic biological process that has significant contribution to organismal diversity. Previous studies in both Drosophila and mammals showed that new genes tend to be expressed in testes and avoid the X chromosome, presumably because of meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). Here, we analyze the published single-cell transcriptome data of Drosophila adult testis and find an enrichment of male germline mitotic genes, but an underrepresentation of meiotic genes on the X chromosome. This can be attributed to an excess of autosomal meiotic genes that were derived from their X-linked mitotic progenitors, which provides direct cell-level evidence for MSCI in Drosophila. We reveal that new genes, particularly those produced by retrotransposition, tend to exhibit an expression shift toward late spermatogenesis compared with their parental copies, probably due to the more intensive sperm competition or sexual conflict. Our results dissect the complex factors including age, the origination mechanisms and the chromosomal locations that influence the new gene origination and evolution in testes, and identify new gene cases that show divergent cell-level expression patterns from their progenitors for future functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianwei Su
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Q.S.); (H.H.)
| | - Huangyi He
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Q.S.); (H.H.)
| | - Qi Zhou
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Q.S.); (H.H.)
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310052, China
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30
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Xia S, Ventura IM, Blaha A, Sgromo A, Han S, Izaurralde E, Long M. Rapid Gene evolution in an ancient post-transcriptional and translational regulatory system compensates for meiotic X chromosomal inactivation. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 39:6385248. [PMID: 34626117 PMCID: PMC8763131 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is conventionally assumed that conserved pathways evolve slowly with little participation of gene evolution. Nevertheless, it has been recently observed that young genes can take over fundamental functions in essential biological processes, for example, development and reproduction. It is unclear how newly duplicated genes are integrated into ancestral networks and reshape the conserved pathways of important functions. Here, we investigated origination and function of two autosomal genes that evolved recently in Drosophila: Poseidon and Zeus, which were created by RNA-based duplications from the X-linked CAF40, a subunit of the conserved CCR4–NOT deadenylase complex involved in posttranscriptional and translational regulation. Knockdown and knockout assays show that the two genes quickly evolved critically important functions in viability and male fertility. Moreover, our transcriptome analysis demonstrates that the three genes have a broad and distinct effect in the expression of hundreds of genes, with almost half of the differentially expressed genes being perturbed exclusively by one paralog, but not the others. Co-immunoprecipitation and tethering assays show that the CAF40 paralog Poseidon maintains the ability to interact with the CCR4–NOT deadenylase complex and might act in posttranscriptional mRNA regulation. The rapid gene evolution in the ancient posttranscriptional and translational regulatory system may be driven by evolution of sex chromosomes to compensate for the meiotic X chromosomal inactivation (MXCI) in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengqian Xia
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Iuri M Ventura
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, DF, 70040-020, Brazil
| | - Andreas Blaha
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Annamaria Sgromo
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Shuaibo Han
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Elisa Izaurralde
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Manyuan Long
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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31
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Rivard EL, Ludwig AG, Patel PH, Grandchamp A, Arnold SE, Berger A, Scott EM, Kelly BJ, Mascha GC, Bornberg-Bauer E, Findlay GD. A putative de novo evolved gene required for spermatid chromatin condensation in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009787. [PMID: 34478447 PMCID: PMC8445463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparative genomics has enabled the identification of genes that potentially evolved de novo from non-coding sequences. Many such genes are expressed in male reproductive tissues, but their functions remain poorly understood. To address this, we conducted a functional genetic screen of over 40 putative de novo genes with testis-enriched expression in Drosophila melanogaster and identified one gene, atlas, required for male fertility. Detailed genetic and cytological analyses showed that atlas is required for proper chromatin condensation during the final stages of spermatogenesis. Atlas protein is expressed in spermatid nuclei and facilitates the transition from histone- to protamine-based chromatin packaging. Complementary evolutionary analyses revealed the complex evolutionary history of atlas. The protein-coding portion of the gene likely arose at the base of the Drosophila genus on the X chromosome but was unlikely to be essential, as it was then lost in several independent lineages. Within the last ~15 million years, however, the gene moved to an autosome, where it fused with a conserved non-coding RNA and evolved a non-redundant role in male fertility. Altogether, this study provides insight into the integration of novel genes into biological processes, the links between genomic innovation and functional evolution, and the genetic control of a fundamental developmental process, gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L. Rivard
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Andrew G. Ludwig
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Prajal H. Patel
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Sarah E. Arnold
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Emilie M. Scott
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Brendan J. Kelly
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Grace C. Mascha
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Geoffrey D. Findlay
- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
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32
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Molla Herman A, Brasset E. Rhino breaks the deadlock in Drosophila testis. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009702. [PMID: 34473721 PMCID: PMC8412255 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anahi Molla Herman
- Collège de France, CIRB, CNRS INSERM UMR 7241, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Emilie Brasset
- iGReD, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM, Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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33
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Witt E, Shao Z, Hu C, Krause HM, Zhao L. Single-cell RNA-sequencing reveals pre-meiotic X-chromosome dosage compensation in Drosophila testis. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009728. [PMID: 34403408 PMCID: PMC8396764 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dosage compensation equalizes X-linked expression between XY males and XX females. In male fruit flies, expression levels of the X-chromosome are increased approximately two-fold to compensate for their single X chromosome. In testis, dosage compensation is thought to cease during meiosis; however, the timing and degree of the resulting transcriptional suppression is difficult to separate from global meiotic downregulation of each chromosome. To address this, we analyzed testis single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from two Drosophila melanogaster strains. We found evidence that the X chromosome is equally transcriptionally active as autosomes in somatic and pre-meiotic cells, and less transcriptionally active than autosomes in meiotic and post-meiotic cells. In cells experiencing dosage compensation, close proximity to MSL (male-specific lethal) chromatin entry sites (CES) correlates with increased X chromosome transcription. We found low or undetectable levels of germline expression of most msl genes, mle, roX1 and roX2 via scRNA-seq and RNA-FISH, and no evidence of germline nuclear roX1/2 localization. Our results suggest that, although dosage compensation occurs in somatic and pre-meiotic germ cells in Drosophila testis, there might be non-canonical factors involved in the dosage compensation mechanism. The single-cell expression patterns and enrichment statistics of detected genes can be explored interactively in our database: https://zhao.labapps.rockefeller.edu/gene-expr/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Witt
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Zhantao Shao
- Department of Molecular Genetics and The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chun Hu
- Department of Molecular Genetics and The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Henry M. Krause
- Department of Molecular Genetics and The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Li Zhao
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America
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34
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Schroeder CM, Tomlin SA, Mejia Natividad I, Valenzuela JR, Young JM, Malik HS. An actin-related protein that is most highly expressed in Drosophila testes is critical for embryonic development. eLife 2021; 10:71279. [PMID: 34282725 PMCID: PMC8291977 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Most actin-related proteins (Arps) are highly conserved and carry out well-defined cellular functions in eukaryotes. However, many lineages like Drosophila and mammals encode divergent non-canonical Arps whose roles remain unknown. To elucidate the function of non-canonical Arps, we focus on Arp53D, which is highly expressed in testes and retained throughout Drosophila evolution. We show that Arp53D localizes to fusomes and actin cones, two germline-specific actin structures critical for sperm maturation, via a unique N-terminal tail. Surprisingly, we find that male fertility is not impaired upon Arp53D loss, yet population cage experiments reveal that Arp53D is required for optimal fitness in Drosophila melanogaster. To reconcile these findings, we focus on Arp53D function in ovaries and embryos where it is only weakly expressed. We find that under heat stress Arp53D-knockout (KO) females lay embryos with reduced nuclear integrity and lower viability; these defects are further exacerbated in Arp53D-KO embryos. Thus, despite its relatively recent evolution and primarily testis-specific expression, non-canonical Arp53D is required for optimal embryonic development in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney M Schroeder
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Sarah A Tomlin
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Isabel Mejia Natividad
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - John R Valenzuela
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Janet M Young
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Harmit S Malik
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
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35
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Muyle A, Bachtrog D, Marais GAB, Turner JMA. Epigenetics drive the evolution of sex chromosomes in animals and plants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200124. [PMID: 33866802 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We review how epigenetics affect sex chromosome evolution in animals and plants. In a few species, sex is determined epigenetically through the action of Y-encoded small RNAs. Epigenetics is also responsible for changing the sex of individuals through time, even in species that carry sex chromosomes, and could favour species adaptation through breeding system plasticity. The Y chromosome accumulates repeats that become epigenetically silenced which leads to an epigenetic conflict with the expression of Y genes and could accelerate Y degeneration. Y heterochromatin can be lost through ageing, which activates transposable elements and lowers male longevity. Y chromosome degeneration has led to the evolution of meiotic sex chromosome inactivation in eutherians (placentals) and marsupials, and dosage compensation mechanisms in animals and plants. X-inactivation convergently evolved in eutherians and marsupials via two independently evolved non-coding RNAs. In Drosophila, male X upregulation by the male specific lethal (MSL) complex can spread to neo-X chromosomes through the transposition of transposable elements that carry an MSL-binding motif. We discuss similarities and possible differences between plants and animals and suggest future directions for this dynamic field of research. This article is part of the theme issue 'How does epigenetics influence the course of evolution?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Muyle
- University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Doris Bachtrog
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gabriel A B Marais
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive UMR 5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France.,LEAF- Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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36
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Li YR, Lai HW, Huang HH, Chen HC, Fugmann SD, Yang SY. Trajectory mapping of the early Drosophila germline reveals controls of zygotic activation and sex differentiation. Genome Res 2021; 31:1011-1023. [PMID: 33858841 PMCID: PMC8168578 DOI: 10.1101/gr.271148.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Germ cells in Drosophila melanogaster are specified maternally shortly after fertilization and are transcriptionally quiescent until their zygotic genome is activated to sustain further development. To understand the molecular basis of this process, we analyzed the progressing transcriptomes of early male and female germ cells at the single-cell level between germline specification and coalescence with somatic gonadal cells. Our data comprehensively cover zygotic activation in the germline genome, and analyses on genes that exhibit germline-restricted expression reveal that polymerase pausing and differential RNA stability are important mechanisms that establish gene expression differences between the germline and soma. In addition, we observe an immediate bifurcation between the male and female germ cells as zygotic transcription begins. The main difference between the two sexes is an elevation in X Chromosome expression in females relative to males, signifying incomplete dosage compensation, with a few select genes exhibiting even higher expression increases. These indicate that the male program is the default mode in the germline that is driven to female development with a second X Chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ru Li
- Department and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333 Taiwan
| | - Hsiao Wen Lai
- Department and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333 Taiwan
| | - Hsiao Han Huang
- Department and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333 Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Chun Chen
- Department and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333 Taiwan
| | - Sebastian D Fugmann
- Department and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333 Taiwan.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333 Taiwan.,Department of Nephrology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333 Taiwan
| | - Shu Yuan Yang
- Department and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333 Taiwan.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333 Taiwan.,Department of Gynecology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333 Taiwan
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37
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Bachtrog D. The Y Chromosome as a Battleground for Intragenomic Conflict. Trends Genet 2020; 36:510-522. [PMID: 32448494 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Y chromosomes are typically viewed as genetic wastelands with few intact genes. Recent genomic analyses in Drosophila, however, show that gene gain is prominent on young Y chromosomes. Meiosis- and RNAi-related genes often coamplify on recently formed X and Y chromosomes, are testis-expressed, and produce antisense transcripts and short RNAs. RNAi pathways are also involved in suppressing sex ratio drive in Drosophila. These observations paint a dynamic picture of sex chromosome differentiation, suggesting that rapidly evolving genomic battles over segregation are rampant on young sex chromosomes and utilize RNAi to defend the genome against selfish elements that manipulate fair meiosis. Recurrent sex chromosome drive can have profound ecological, evolutionary, and cellular impacts and account for unique features of sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris Bachtrog
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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