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Wang Y, Gong GN, Wang Y, Zhang RG, Hörandl E, Zhang ZX, Charlesworth D, He L. Gap-free X and Y chromosome assemblies of Salix arbutifolia reveal an evolutionary change from male to female heterogamety in willows, without a change in the position of the sex-determining locus. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:2872-2887. [PMID: 38581199 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
In the Vetrix clade of Salix, a genus of woody flowering plants, sex determination involves chromosome 15, but an XY system has changed to a ZW system. We studied the detailed genetic changes involved. We used genome sequencing, with chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) and PacBio HiFi reads to assemble chromosome level gap-free X and Y of Salix arbutifolia, and distinguished the haplotypes in the 15X- and 15Y-linked regions, to study the evolutionary history of the sex-linked regions (SLRs). Our sequencing revealed heteromorphism of the X and Y haplotypes of the SLR, with the X-linked region being considerably larger than the corresponding Y region, mainly due to accumulated repetitive sequences and gene duplications. The phylogenies of single-copy orthogroups within the SLRs indicate that S. arbutifolia and Salix purpurea share an ancestral SLR within a repeat-rich region near the chromosome 15 centromere. During the change in heterogamety, the X-linked region changed to a W-linked one, while the Z was derived from the Y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Laboratory of Systematic Evolution and Biogeography of Woody Plants, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Guang-Nan Gong
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Ren-Gang Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Elvira Hörandl
- Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants (with Herbarium), University of Goettingen, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Zhi-Xiang Zhang
- Laboratory of Systematic Evolution and Biogeography of Woody Plants, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Li He
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
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2
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Charlesworth D, Harkess A. Why should we study plant sex chromosomes? THE PLANT CELL 2024; 36:1242-1256. [PMID: 38163640 PMCID: PMC11062472 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Understanding plant sex chromosomes involves studying interactions between developmental and physiological genetics, genome evolution, and evolutionary ecology. We focus on areas of overlap between these. Ideas about how species with separate sexes (dioecious species, in plant terminology) can evolve are even more relevant to plants than to most animal taxa because dioecy has evolved many times from ancestral functionally hermaphroditic populations, often recently. One aim of studying plant sex chromosomes is to discover how separate males and females evolved from ancestors with no such genetic sex-determining polymorphism, and the diversity in the genetic control of maleness vs femaleness. Different systems share some interesting features, and their differences help to understand why completely sex-linked regions may evolve. In some dioecious plants, the sex-determining genome regions are physically small. In others, regions without crossing over have evolved sometimes extensive regions with properties very similar to those of the familiar animal sex chromosomes. The differences also affect the evolutionary changes possible when the environment (or pollination environment, for angiosperms) changes, as dioecy is an ecologically risky strategy for sessile organisms. Dioecious plants have repeatedly reverted to cosexuality, and hermaphroditic strains of fruit crops such as papaya and grapes are desired by plant breeders. Sex-linked regions are predicted to become enriched in genes with sex differences in expression, especially when higher expression benefits one sex function but harms the other. Such trade-offs may be important for understanding other plant developmental and physiological processes and have direct applications in plant breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Alex Harkess
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
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3
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Jay P, Jeffries D, Hartmann FE, Véber A, Giraud T. Why do sex chromosomes progressively lose recombination? Trends Genet 2024:S0168-9525(24)00067-2. [PMID: 38677904 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Progressive recombination loss is a common feature of sex chromosomes. Yet, the evolutionary drivers of this phenomenon remain a mystery. For decades, differences in trait optima between sexes (sexual antagonism) have been the favoured hypothesis, but convincing evidence is lacking. Recent years have seen a surge of alternative hypotheses to explain progressive extensions and maintenance of recombination suppression: neutral accumulation of sequence divergence, selection of nonrecombining fragments with fewer deleterious mutations than average, sheltering of recessive deleterious mutations by linkage to heterozygous alleles, early evolution of dosage compensation, and constraints on recombination restoration. Here, we explain these recent hypotheses and dissect their assumptions, mechanisms, and predictions. We also review empirical studies that have brought support to the various hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Jay
- Center for GeoGenetics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, UMR 8079, Bâtiment 680, 12 route RD128, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Daniel Jeffries
- Division of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Fanny E Hartmann
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, UMR 8079, Bâtiment 680, 12 route RD128, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Amandine Véber
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, MAP5, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Tatiana Giraud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, UMR 8079, Bâtiment 680, 12 route RD128, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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4
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Sacchi B, Humphries Z, Kružlicová J, Bodláková M, Pyne C, Choudhury BI, Gong Y, Bačovský V, Hobza R, Barrett SCH, Wright SI. Phased Assembly of Neo-Sex Chromosomes Reveals Extensive Y Degeneration and Rapid Genome Evolution in Rumex hastatulus. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae074. [PMID: 38606901 PMCID: PMC11057207 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae074] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Y chromosomes are thought to undergo progressive degeneration due to stepwise loss of recombination and subsequent reduction in selection efficiency. However, the timescales and evolutionary forces driving degeneration remain unclear. To investigate the evolution of sex chromosomes on multiple timescales, we generated a high-quality phased genome assembly of the massive older (<10 MYA) and neo (<200,000 yr) sex chromosomes in the XYY cytotype of the dioecious plant Rumex hastatulus and a hermaphroditic outgroup Rumex salicifolius. Our assemblies, supported by fluorescence in situ hybridization, confirmed that the neo-sex chromosomes were formed by two key events: an X-autosome fusion and a reciprocal translocation between the homologous autosome and the Y chromosome. The enormous sex-linked regions of the X (296 Mb) and two Y chromosomes (503 Mb) both evolved from large repeat-rich genomic regions with low recombination; however, the complete loss of recombination on the Y still led to over 30% gene loss and major rearrangements. In the older sex-linked region, there has been a significant increase in transposable element abundance, even into and near genes. In the neo-sex-linked regions, we observed evidence of extensive rearrangements without gene degeneration and loss. Overall, we inferred significant degeneration during the first 10 million years of Y chromosome evolution but not on very short timescales. Our results indicate that even when sex chromosomes emerge from repetitive regions of already-low recombination, the complete loss of recombination on the Y chromosome still leads to a substantial increase in repetitive element content and gene degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Sacchi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Zoë Humphries
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jana Kružlicová
- Department of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Bodláková
- Department of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Cassandre Pyne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Baharul I Choudhury
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada
| | - Yunchen Gong
- Centre for Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Václav Bačovský
- Department of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Hobza
- Department of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Spencer C H Barrett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Stephen I Wright
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Centre for Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Wright CJ, Stevens L, Mackintosh A, Lawniczak M, Blaxter M. Comparative genomics reveals the dynamics of chromosome evolution in Lepidoptera. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:777-790. [PMID: 38383850 PMCID: PMC11009112 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02329-4] [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: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Chromosomes are a central unit of genome organization. One-tenth of all described species on Earth are butterflies and moths, the Lepidoptera, which generally possess 31 chromosomes. However, some species display dramatic variation in chromosome number. Here we analyse 210 chromosomally complete lepidopteran genomes and show that the chromosomes of extant lepidopterans are derived from 32 ancestral linkage groups, which we term Merian elements. Merian elements have remained largely intact through 250 million years of evolution and diversification. Against this stable background, eight lineages have undergone extensive reorganization either through numerous fissions or a combination of fusion and fission events. Outside these lineages, fusions are rare and fissions are rarer still. Fusions often involve small, repeat-rich Merian elements and the sex-linked element. Our results reveal the constraints on genome architecture in Lepidoptera and provide a deeper understanding of chromosomal rearrangements in eukaryotic genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lewis Stevens
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Mark Blaxter
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK.
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6
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Filatov DA. Evolution of a plant sex chromosome driven by expanding pericentromeric recombination suppression. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1373. [PMID: 38228625 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51153-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Recombination suppression around sex-determining gene(s) is a key step in evolution of sex chromosomes, but it is not well understood how it evolves. Recently evolved sex-linked regions offer an opportunity to understand the mechanisms of recombination cessation. This paper analyses such a region on Silene latifolia (Caryophyllaceae) sex chromosomes, where recombination was suppressed in the last 120 thousand years ("stratum 3"). Locating the boundaries of the stratum 3 in S. latifolia genome sequence revealed that this region is far larger than assumed previously-it is about 14 Mb long and includes 202 annotated genes. A gradient of X:Y divergence detected in the stratum 3, with divergence increasing proximally, indicates gradual recombination cessation, possibly caused by expansion of pericentromeric recombination suppression (PRS) into the pseudoautosomal region. Expansion of PRS was also the likely cause for the formation of the older stratum 2 on S. latifolia sex chromosomes. The role of PRS in sex chromosome evolution has been underappreciated, but it may be a significant factor, especially in the species with large chromosomes where PRS is often extensive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry A Filatov
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK.
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7
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Scarparo G, Palanchon M, Brelsford A, Purcell J. Social antagonism facilitates supergene expansion in ants. Curr Biol 2023; 33:5085-5095.e4. [PMID: 37979579 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.049] [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: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Antagonistic selection has long been considered a major driver of the formation and expansion of sex chromosomes. For example, sexually antagonistic variation on an autosome can select for suppressed recombination between that autosome and the sex chromosome, leading to a neo-sex chromosome. Autosomal supergenes, chromosomal regions containing tightly linked variants affecting the same complex trait, share similarities with sex chromosomes, raising the possibility that sex chromosome evolution models can explain the evolution of genome structure and recombination in other contexts. We tested this premise in a Formica ant species, wherein we identified four supergene haplotypes on chromosome 3 underlying colony social organization and sex ratio. We discovered a novel rearranged supergene variant (9r) on chromosome 9 underlying queen miniaturization. The 9r is in strong linkage disequilibrium with one chromosome 3 haplotype (P2) found in multi-queen (polygyne) colonies. We suggest that queen miniaturization is strongly disfavored in the single-queen (monogyne) background and is thus socially antagonistic. As such, divergent selection experienced by ants living in alternative social "environments" (monogyne and polygyne) may have contributed to the emergence of a genetic polymorphism on chromosome 9 and associated queen-size dimorphism. Consequently, an ancestral polygyne-associated haplotype may have expanded to include the polymorphism on chromosome 9, resulting in a larger region of suppressed recombination spanning two chromosomes. This process is analogous to the formation of neo-sex chromosomes and consistent with models of expanding regions of suppressed recombination. We propose that miniaturized queens, 16%-20% smaller than queens without 9r, could be incipient intraspecific social parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Scarparo
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, 165 Entomology Bldg. Citrus Drive, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - Marie Palanchon
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, 2710 Life Science Bldg., Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Alan Brelsford
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, 2710 Life Science Bldg., Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jessica Purcell
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, 165 Entomology Bldg. Citrus Drive, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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8
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Saul F, Scharmann M, Wakatake T, Rajaraman S, Marques A, Freund M, Bringmann G, Channon L, Becker D, Carroll E, Low YW, Lindqvist C, Gilbert KJ, Renner T, Masuda S, Richter M, Vogg G, Shirasu K, Michael TP, Hedrich R, Albert VA, Fukushima K. Subgenome dominance shapes novel gene evolution in the decaploid pitcher plant Nepenthes gracilis. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:2000-2015. [PMID: 37996654 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01562-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Subgenome dominance after whole-genome duplication generates distinction in gene number and expression at the level of chromosome sets, but it remains unclear how this process may be involved in evolutionary novelty. Here we generated a chromosome-scale genome assembly of the Asian pitcher plant Nepenthes gracilis to analyse how its novel traits (dioecy and carnivorous pitcher leaves) are linked to genomic evolution. We found a decaploid karyotype and a clear indication of subgenome dominance. A male-linked and pericentromerically located region on the putative sex chromosome was identified in a recessive subgenome and was found to harbour three transcription factors involved in flower and pollen development, including a likely neofunctionalized LEAFY duplicate. Transcriptomic and syntenic analyses of carnivory-related genes suggested that the paleopolyploidization events seeded genes that subsequently formed tandem clusters in recessive subgenomes with specific expression in the digestive zone of the pitcher, where specialized cells digest prey and absorb derived nutrients. A genome-scale analysis suggested that subgenome dominance likely contributed to evolutionary innovation by permitting recessive subgenomes to diversify functions of novel tissue-specific duplicates. Our results provide insight into how polyploidy can give rise to novel traits in divergent and successful high-ploidy lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Saul
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mathias Scharmann
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology (IBB), University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Takanori Wakatake
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sitaram Rajaraman
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - André Marques
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Matthias Freund
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Bringmann
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Louisa Channon
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Becker
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Emily Carroll
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Yee Wen Low
- Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Kadeem J Gilbert
- Department of Plant Biology & W.K. Kellogg Biological Station & Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, USA
| | - Tanya Renner
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Sachiko Masuda
- Riken Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Michaela Richter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Gerd Vogg
- Botanical Garden, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ken Shirasu
- Riken Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Todd P Michael
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Victor A Albert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
| | - Kenji Fukushima
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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9
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She H, Liu Z, Li S, Xu Z, Zhang H, Cheng F, Wu J, Wang X, Deng C, Charlesworth D, Gao W, Qian W. Evolution of the spinach sex-linked region within a rarely recombining pericentromeric region. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 193:1263-1280. [PMID: 37403642 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Sex chromosomes have evolved independently in many different plant lineages. Here, we describe reference genomes for spinach (Spinacia oleracea) X and Y haplotypes by sequencing homozygous XX females and YY males. The long arm of 185-Mb chromosome 4 carries a 13-Mb X-linked region (XLR) and 24.1-Mb Y-linked region (YLR), of which 10 Mb is Y specific. We describe evidence that this reflects insertions of autosomal sequences creating a "Y duplication region" or "YDR" whose presence probably directly reduces genetic recombination in the immediately flanking regions, although both the X and Y sex-linked regions are within a large pericentromeric region of chromosome 4 that recombines rarely in meiosis of both sexes. Sequence divergence estimates using synonymous sites indicate that YDR genes started diverging from their likely autosomal progenitors about 3 MYA, around the time when the flanking YLR stopped recombining with the XLR. These flanking regions have a higher density of repetitive sequences in the YY than the XX assembly and include slightly more pseudogenes compared with the XLR, and the YLR has lost about 11% of the ancestral genes, suggesting some degeneration. Insertion of a male-determining factor would have caused Y linkage across the entire pericentromeric region, creating physically small, highly recombining, terminal pseudoautosomal regions. These findings provide a broader understanding of the origin of sex chromosomes in spinach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbing She
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhiyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shufen Li
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Zhaosheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Helong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Feng Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiaowu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Chuanliang Deng
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Wujun Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Wei Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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10
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Feng T, Pucker B, Kuang T, Song B, Yang Y, Lin N, Zhang H, Moore MJ, Brockington SF, Wang Q, Deng T, Wang H, Sun H. The genome of the glasshouse plant noble rhubarb (Rheum nobile) provides a window into alpine adaptation. Commun Biol 2023; 6:706. [PMID: 37429977 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05044-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Glasshouse plants are species that trap warmth via specialized morphology and physiology, mimicking a human glasshouse. In the Himalayan alpine region, the highly specialized glasshouse morphology has independently evolved in distinct lineages to adapt to intensive UV radiation and low temperature. Here we demonstrate that the glasshouse structure - specialized cauline leaves - is highly effective in absorbing UV light but transmitting visible and infrared light, creating an optimal microclimate for the development of reproductive organs. We reveal that this glasshouse syndrome has evolved at least three times independently in the rhubarb genus Rheum. We report the genome sequence of the flagship glasshouse plant Rheum nobile and identify key genetic network modules in association with the morphological transition to specialized glasshouse leaves, including active secondary cell wall biogenesis, upregulated cuticular cutin biosynthesis, and suppression of photosynthesis and terpenoid biosynthesis. The distinct cell wall organization and cuticle development might be important for the specialized optical property of glasshouse leaves. We also find that the expansion of LTRs has likely played an important role in noble rhubarb adaptation to high elevation environments. Our study will enable additional comparative analyses to identify the genetic basis underlying the convergent occurrence of glasshouse syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Feng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Boas Pucker
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
- CeBiTec & Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Universitaetsstrasse, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
- Institute of Plant Biology & BRICS, TU Braunschweig, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Tianhui Kuang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
| | - Bo Song
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
| | - Ya Yang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Nan Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Huajie Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Michael J Moore
- Department of Biology, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA
| | - Samuel F Brockington
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Qingfeng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Tao Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China.
| | - Hengchang Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China.
| | - Hang Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China.
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11
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Yue J, Krasovec M, Kazama Y, Zhang X, Xie W, Zhang S, Xu X, Kan B, Ming R, Filatov DA. The origin and evolution of sex chromosomes, revealed by sequencing of the Silene latifolia female genome. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00678-4. [PMID: 37290443 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
White campion (Silene latifolia, Caryophyllaceae) was the first vascular plant where sex chromosomes were discovered. This species is a classic model for studies on plant sex chromosomes due to presence of large, clearly distinguishable X and Y chromosomes that originated de novo about 11 million years ago (mya), but lack of genomic resources for this relatively large genome (∼2.8 Gb) remains a significant hurdle. Here we report S. latifolia female genome assembly integrated with sex-specific genetic maps of this species, focusing on sex chromosomes and their evolution. The analysis reveals a highly heterogeneous recombination landscape with strong reduction in recombination rate in the central parts of all chromosomes. Recombination on the X chromosome in female meiosis primarily occurs at the very ends, and over 85% of the X chromosome length is located in a massive (∼330 Mb) gene-poor, rarely recombining pericentromeric region (Xpr). The results indicate that the non-recombining region on the Y chromosome (NRY) initially evolved in a relatively small (∼15 Mb), actively recombining region at the end of the q-arm, possibly as a result of inversion on the nascent X chromosome. The NRY expanded about 6 mya via linkage between the Xpr and the sex-determining region, which may have been caused by expanding pericentromeric recombination suppression on the X chromosome. These findings shed light on the origin of sex chromosomes in S. latifolia and yield genomic resources to assist ongoing and future investigations into sex chromosome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Yue
- Centre for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Marc Krasovec
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK; Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7232 Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Yusuke Kazama
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Fukui Prefectural University, 4-1-1 Kenjojima, Matsuoka, Eiheiji-cho, Fukui 910-1195, Japan
| | - Xingtan Zhang
- Centre for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Shenzhen 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 518100, China
| | - Wangyang Xie
- Centre for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Shencheng Zhang
- Shenzhen 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 518100, China
| | - Xiuming Xu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361100, China
| | - Baolin Kan
- Centre for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Ray Ming
- Centre for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Dmitry A Filatov
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK.
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12
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Razumova OV, Divashuk MG, Alexandrov OS, Karlov GI. GISH painting of the Y chromosomes suggests advanced phases of sex chromosome evolution in three dioecious Cannabaceae species (Humulus lupulus, H. japonicus, and Cannabis sativa). PROTOPLASMA 2023; 260:249-256. [PMID: 35595927 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-022-01774-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In plants, dioecy is relatively rare, and it involves sex chromosome systems that often developed independently over time. These characteristics make dioecious plants an attractive model to study sex chromosome evolution. To clarify the patterns of plant sex chromosome evolution, studies should be performed on a wide range of dioecious species. It is interesting to study the sex chromosomes in related species that evolved during a long period of independent sex chromosome evolution. The Cannabaceae family includes three dioecious species with heteromorphic sex chromosomes. Cannabis sativa and Humulus lupulus use the XX/XY chromosome system, whereas Humulus japonicus contains multiple sex chromosomes (XX/XY1Y2). To better understand sex chromosome evolution and the level of genomic divergence of these three related species, we undertook self-GISH and comparative GISH analyses. The self-GISH allowed visualization of the Y chromosomes of C. sativa, H. lupulus, and H. japonicus. The self-GISH signal was distributed along the entire Y chromosome, excluding the pseudo-autosomal region (PAR). Our results indicate that the male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) spans the overwhelming majority of the Y chromosomes of all three species studied. The self-GISH results reveal the accumulation of repetitive DNA sequences in the Y chromosomes of all three species studied. This sequences presented in autosomes and/or chromosome X at a lower copy number than in Y. In comparative GISH experiments where the probe DNA of one species was applied to another species, a weak signal was exclusively detected on 45S rDNA sites, indicating a high level of genomic differentiation of the species used in this study. We demonstrate small PAR size and opposing large MSY and its positions on Y chromosomes. We also found that these genomes are highly differentiated. Furthermore, the data obtained in this study indicate a long period of independent and advanced sex chromosome evolution. Our study provides a valuable basis for future genomic studies of sex and suggests that the Cannabaceae family offers a promising model to study sex chromosome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Razumova
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Timiryazevskaya 42, Moscow, 127550, Russia
| | - Mikhail G Divashuk
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Timiryazevskaya 42, Moscow, 127550, Russia
| | - Oleg S Alexandrov
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Timiryazevskaya 42, Moscow, 127550, Russia
| | - Gennady I Karlov
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Timiryazevskaya 42, Moscow, 127550, Russia.
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13
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Long X, Charlesworth D, Qi J, Wu R, Chen M, Wang Z, Xu L, Fu H, Zhang X, Chen X, He L, Zheng L, Huang Z, Zhou Q. Independent Evolution of Sex Chromosomes and Male Pregnancy-Related Genes in Two Seahorse Species. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 40:6964685. [PMID: 36578180 PMCID: PMC9851323 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike birds and mammals, many teleosts have homomorphic sex chromosomes, and changes in the chromosome carrying the sex-determining locus, termed "turnovers", are common. Recent turnovers allow studies of several interesting questions. One question is whether the new sex-determining regions evolve to become completely non-recombining, and if so, how and why. Another is whether (as predicted) evolutionary changes that benefit one sex accumulate in the newly sex-linked region. To study these questions, we analyzed the genome sequences of two seahorse species of the Syngnathidae, a fish group in which many species evolved a unique structure, the male brood pouch. We find that both seahorse species have XY sex chromosome systems, but their sex chromosome pairs are not homologs, implying that at least one turnover event has occurred. The Y-linked regions occupy 63.9% and 95.1% of the entire sex chromosome of the two species and do not exhibit extensive sequence divergence with their X-linked homologs. We find evidence for occasional recombination between the extant sex chromosomes that may account for their homomorphism. We argue that these Y-linked regions did not evolve by recombination suppression after the turnover, but by the ancestral nature of the low crossover rates in these chromosome regions. With such an ancestral crossover landscape, a turnover can instantly create an extensive Y-linked region. Finally, we test for adaptive evolution of male pouch-related genes after they became Y-linked in the seahorse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Long
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China,Research Center for Intelligent Computing Platforms, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LF, UK
| | - Jianfei Qi
- Department of Aquaculture, Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Xiamen 361013, China
| | - Ruiqiong Wu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Meiling Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Zongji Wang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Luohao Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Honggao Fu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xueping Zhang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xinxin Chen
- Department of Aquaculture, Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Xiamen 361013, China
| | - Libin He
- Department of Aquaculture, Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Xiamen 361013, China
| | | | | | - Qi Zhou
- Corresponding authors: E-mails: ; ;
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14
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Sex chromosome differentiation via changes in the Y chromosome repeat landscape in African annual killifishes Nothobranchius furzeri and N. kadleci. Chromosome Res 2022; 30:309-333. [PMID: 36208359 DOI: 10.1007/s10577-022-09707-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Homomorphic sex chromosomes and their turnover are common in teleosts. We investigated the evolution of nascent sex chromosomes in several populations of two sister species of African annual killifishes, Nothobranchius furzeri and N. kadleci, focusing on their under-studied repetitive landscape. We combined bioinformatic analyses of the repeatome with molecular cytogenetic techniques, including comparative genomic hybridization, fluorescence in situ hybridization with satellite sequences, ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) and bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs), and immunostaining of SYCP3 and MLH1 proteins to mark lateral elements of synaptonemal complexes and recombination sites, respectively. Both species share the same heteromorphic XY sex chromosome system, which thus evolved prior to their divergence. This was corroborated by sequence analysis of a putative master sex determining (MSD) gene gdf6Y in both species. Based on their divergence, differentiation of the XY sex chromosome pair started approximately 2 million years ago. In all populations, the gdf6Y gene mapped within a region rich in satellite DNA on the Y chromosome long arms. Despite their heteromorphism, X and Y chromosomes mostly pair regularly in meiosis, implying synaptic adjustment. In N. kadleci, Y-linked paracentric inversions like those previously reported in N. furzeri were detected. An inversion involving the MSD gene may suppress occasional recombination in the region, which we otherwise evidenced in the N. furzeri population MZCS-121 of the Limpopo clade lacking this inversion. Y chromosome centromeric repeats were reduced compared with the X chromosome and autosomes, which points to a role of relaxed meiotic drive in shaping the Y chromosome repeat landscape. We speculate that the recombination rate between sex chromosomes was reduced due to heterochiasmy. The observed differences between the repeat accumulations on the X and Y chromosomes probably result from high repeat turnover and may not relate closely to the divergence inferred from earlier SNP analyses.
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15
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Zhang S, Wu Z, Ma D, Zhai J, Han X, Jiang Z, Liu S, Xu J, Jiao P, Li Z. Chromosome-scale assemblies of the male and female Populus euphratica genomes reveal the molecular basis of sex determination and sexual dimorphism. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1186. [PMCID: PMC9636151 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04145-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Reference-quality genomes of both sexes are essential for studying sex determination and sex-chromosome evolution, as their gene contents and expression profiles differ. Here, we present independent chromosome-level genome assemblies for the female (XX) and male (XY) genomes of desert poplar (Populus euphratica), resolving a 22.7-Mb X and 24.8-Mb Y chromosome. We also identified a relatively complete 761-kb sex-linked region (SLR) in the peritelomeric region on chromosome 14 (Y). Within the SLR, recombination around the partial repeats for the feminizing factor ARR17 (ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR 17) was potentially suppressed by flanking palindromic arms and the dense accumulation of retrotransposons. The inverted small segments S1 and S2 of ARR17 exhibited relaxed selective pressure and triggered sex determination by generating 24-nt small interfering RNAs that induce male-specific hyper-methylation at the promoter of the autosomal targeted ARR17. We also detected two male-specific fusion genes encoding proteins with NB-ARC domains at the breakpoint region of an inversion in the SLR that may be responsible for the observed sexual dimorphism in immune responses. Our results show that the SLR appears to follow proposed evolutionary dynamics for sex chromosomes and advance our understanding of sex determination and the evolution of sex chromosomes in Populus. Reference-quality genomes of both sexes of the dioecious tree species, Populus euphratica, provide further insight into the evolution of Populus sex chromosomes and highlight male-specific fusion genes that may contribute to sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanhe Zhang
- grid.443240.50000 0004 1760 4679College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University/Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Biological Resources in Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps/Research Center of Populus Euphratica, Aral, 843300 China
| | - Zhihua Wu
- grid.453534.00000 0001 2219 2654College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004 China
| | - De Ma
- grid.410753.4Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing, 100083 China
| | - Juntuan Zhai
- grid.443240.50000 0004 1760 4679College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University/Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Biological Resources in Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps/Research Center of Populus Euphratica, Aral, 843300 China
| | - Xiaoli Han
- grid.443240.50000 0004 1760 4679College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University/Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Biological Resources in Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps/Research Center of Populus Euphratica, Aral, 843300 China
| | - Zhenbo Jiang
- grid.443240.50000 0004 1760 4679College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University/Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Biological Resources in Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps/Research Center of Populus Euphratica, Aral, 843300 China
| | - Shuo Liu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074 China
| | - Jingdong Xu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074 China
| | - Peipei Jiao
- grid.443240.50000 0004 1760 4679College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University/Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Biological Resources in Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps/Research Center of Populus Euphratica, Aral, 843300 China
| | - Zhijun Li
- grid.443240.50000 0004 1760 4679College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University/Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Biological Resources in Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps/Research Center of Populus Euphratica, Aral, 843300 China
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16
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Herridge R, McCourt T, Jacobs JME, Mace P, Brownfield L, Macknight R. Identification of the genes at S and Z reveals the molecular basis and evolution of grass self-incompatibility. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1011299. [PMID: 36330270 PMCID: PMC9623065 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1011299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Self-incompatibility (SI) is a feature of many flowering plants, whereby self-pollen is recognized and rejected by the stigma. In grasses (Poaceae), the genes controlling this phenomenon have not been fully elucidated. Grasses have a unique two-locus system, in which two independent genetic loci (S and Z) control self-recognition. S and Z are thought to have arisen from an ancient duplication, common to all grasses. With new chromosome-scale genome data, we examined the genes present at S- and Z-loci, firstly in ryegrass (Lolium perenne), and subsequently in ~20 other grass species. We found that two DUF247 genes and a short unstructured protein (SP/ZP) were present at both S- and Z- in all SI species, while in self-compatible species these genes were often lost or mutated. Expression data suggested that DUF247 genes acted as the male components and SP/ZP were the female components. Consistent with their role in distinguishing self- from non-self, all genes were hypervariable, although key secondary structure features were conserved, including the predicted N-terminal cleavage site of SP/ZP. The evolutionary history of these genes was probed, revealing that specificity groups at the Z-locus arose before the advent of various grass subfamilies/species, while specificity groups at the S-locus arose after the split of Panicoideae, Chloridoideae, Oryzoideae and Pooideae. Finally, we propose a model explaining how the proteins encoded at the S and Z loci might function to specify self-incompatibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowan Herridge
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Tyler McCourt
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Peter Mace
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Richard Macknight
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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17
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She H, Xu Z, Zhang H, Wu J, Wang X, Liu Z, Qian W. Remarkable Divergence of the Sex-Linked Region between Two Wild Spinach Progenitors, Spinacia turkestanica and Spinacia tetrandra. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:1138. [PMID: 36009765 PMCID: PMC9404990 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The sex-linked region (SLR) plays an important role in determining the sex of a plant. The SLR of the Y chromosome, composed of a 14.1-Mb inversion and a 10-Mb Y-duplication region (YDR), was deciphered in Spinacia oleracea previously. However, our understanding of the SLR in its wild relatives, S. turkestanica and S. tetrandra, remains limited. In this study, we used 63 resequencing data from the three Spinacia species to infer the evolution of the SLR among the Spinacia species. In the SLR, all the cultivated spinach and S. turkestanica accessions were clustered into two distinct categories with both sexes, while the S. tetrandra accessions of both sexes were grouped. This suggests that S. oleracea shared a similar SLR with S. turkestanica, but not with S. tetrandra, which was further confirmed based on the population structure and principal component analysis. Furthermore, we identified 3910 fully sex-linked SNPs in S. oleracea and 92.82% of them were available in S. turkestanica, while none of the SNPs were adopted in S. tetrandra. Genome coverage in males and females supported the hypothesis that the YDR increasingly expanded during its evolution. Otherwise, we identified 13 sex-linked transposable element insertion polymorphisms within the inversion in both S. oleracea and S. turkestanica, demonstrating that the transposable element insertions might have occurred before the recombination suppression event of the inversion. The SLR was conserved compared with the pseudoautosomal region given that the genetic hitchhiking process occurred in the SLR during its evolution. Our findings will significantly advance our understanding of the characteristics and evolution of the SLR in Spinacia species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Zhiyuan Liu
- Correspondence: (Z.L.); (W.Q.); Tel.: +86-010-62194559 (W.Q.)
| | - Wei Qian
- Correspondence: (Z.L.); (W.Q.); Tel.: +86-010-62194559 (W.Q.)
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18
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Cauret CMS, Mortimer SME, Roberti MC, Ashman TL, Liston A. Chromosome-scale assembly with a phased sex-determining region resolves features of early Z and W chromosome differentiation in a wild octoploid strawberry. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:6603112. [PMID: 35666193 PMCID: PMC9339316 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
When sex chromosomes stop recombining, they start to accumulate differences. The sex-limited chromosome (Y or W) especially is expected to degenerate via the loss of nucleotide sequence and the accumulation of repetitive sequences. However, how early signs of degeneration can be detected in a new sex chromosome is still unclear. The sex-determining region of the octoploid strawberries is young, small, and dynamic. Using PacBio HiFi reads, we obtained a chromosome-scale assembly of a female (ZW) Fragaria chiloensis plant carrying the youngest and largest of the known sex-determining region on the W in strawberries. We fully characterized the previously incomplete sex-determining region, confirming its gene content, genomic location, and evolutionary history. Resolution of gaps in the previous characterization of the sex-determining region added 10 kb of sequence including a noncanonical long terminal repeat-retrotransposon; whereas the Z sequence revealed a Harbinger transposable element adjoining the sex-determining region insertion site. Limited genetic differentiation of the sex chromosomes coupled with structural variation may indicate an early stage of W degeneration. The sex chromosomes have a similar percentage of repeats but differ in their repeat distribution. Differences in the pattern of repeats (transposable element polymorphism) apparently precede sex chromosome differentiation, thus potentially contributing to recombination cessation as opposed to being a consequence of it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M S Cauret
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Sebastian M E Mortimer
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Marcelina C Roberti
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Tia-Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Aaron Liston
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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19
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Physiological aspects of sex differences and Haldane's rule in Rumex hastatulus. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11145. [PMID: 35778518 PMCID: PMC9249882 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15219-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Haldane's rule (HR, impairment of fertility and/or viability of interracial hybrids) seems to be one of few generalizations in evolutionary biology. The validity of HR has been confirmed in animals, and more recently in some dioecious plants (Silene and Rumex). Dioecious Rumex hastatulus has two races differing in the sex chromosome system: Texas (T) and North Carolina (NC), and T × NC males showed both reduced pollen fertility and rarity-two classical symptoms of Haldane's rule (HR). The reduced fertility of these plants has a simple mechanistic explanation, but the reason for their rarity was not elucidated. Here, we measured selected physiological parameters related to the antioxidant defense system in parental races and reciprocal hybrids of R. hastatulus. We showed that the X-autosome configurations, as well as asymmetries associated with Y chromosomes and cytoplasm, could modulate this system in hybrids. The levels and quantitative patterns of the measured parameters distinguish the T × NC hybrid from the other analyzed forms. Our observations suggest that the rarity of T × NC males is caused postzygotically and most likely related to the higher level of oxidative stress induced by the chromosomal incompatibilities. It is the first report on the physiological aspects of HR in plants.
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20
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Yuan F, Wang X, Zhao B, Xu X, Shi M, Leng B, Dong X, Lu C, Feng Z, Guo J, Han G, Zhang H, Huang J, Chen M, Wang BS. The genome of the recretohalophyte Limonium bicolor provides insights into salt gland development and salinity adaptation during terrestrial evolution. MOLECULAR PLANT 2022; 15:1024-1044. [PMID: 35514085 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Halophytes have evolved specialized strategies to cope with high salinity. The extreme halophyte sea lavender (Limonium bicolor) lacks trichomes but possesses salt glands on its epidermis that can excrete harmful ions, such as sodium, to avoid salt damage. Here, we report a high-quality, 2.92-Gb, chromosome-scale L. bicolor genome assembly based on a combination of Illumina short reads, single-molecule, real-time long reads, chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data, and Bionano genome maps, greatly enriching the genomic information on recretohalophytes with multicellular salt glands. Although the L. bicolor genome contains genes that show similarity to trichome fate genes from Arabidopsis thaliana, it lacks homologs of the decision fate genes GLABRA3, ENHANCER OF GLABRA3, GLABRA2, TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA2, and SIAMESE, providing a molecular explanation for the absence of trichomes in this species. We identified key genes (LbHLH and LbTTG1) controlling salt gland development among classical trichome homologous genes and confirmed their roles by showing that their mutations markedly disrupted salt gland initiation, salt secretion, and salt tolerance, thus offering genetic support for the long-standing hypothesis that salt glands and trichomes may share a common origin. In addition, a whole-genome duplication event occurred in the L. bicolor genome after its divergence from Tartary buckwheat and may have contributed to its adaptation to high salinity. The L. bicolor genome resource and genetic evidence reported in this study provide profound insights into plant salt tolerance mechanisms that may facilitate the engineering of salt-tolerant crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yuan
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Boqing Zhao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaojing Xu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Miao Shi
- Berry Genomics Corporation, Beijing, China
| | - Bingying Leng
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Xinxiu Dong
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Chaoxia Lu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Zhongtao Feng
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Jianrong Guo
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Guoliang Han
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | | | | | - Min Chen
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China.
| | - Bao-Shan Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China.
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21
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Moore EC, Thomas GWC, Mortimer S, Kopania EEK, Hunnicutt KE, Clare-Salzler ZJ, Larson EL, Good JM. The evolution of widespread recombination suppression on the dwarf hamster (Phodopus) X chromosome. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6596369. [PMID: 35642315 PMCID: PMC9185382 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac080] [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] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The X chromosome of therian mammals shows strong conservation among distantly related species, limiting insights into the distinct selective processes that have shaped sex chromosome evolution. We constructed a chromosome-scale de novo genome assembly for the Siberian dwarf hamster (Phodopus sungorus), a species reported to show extensive recombination suppression across an entire arm of the X chromosome. Combining a physical genome assembly based on shotgun and long-range proximity ligation sequencing with a dense genetic map, we detected widespread suppression of female recombination across ∼65% of the Phodopus X chromosome. This region of suppressed recombination likely corresponds to the Xp arm, which has previously been shown to be highly heterochromatic. Using additional sequencing data from two closely related species (P. campbelli and P. roborovskii), we show that recombination suppression on Xp appears to be independent of major structural rearrangements. The suppressed Xp arm was enriched for several transposable element families and de-enriched for genes primarily expressed in placenta, but otherwise showed similar gene densities, expression patterns, and rates of molecular evolution when compared to the recombinant Xq arm. Phodopus Xp gene content and order was also broadly conserved relative to the more distantly related rat X chromosome. These data suggest that widespread suppression of recombination has likely evolved through the transient induction of facultative heterochromatin on the Phodopus Xp arm without major changes in chromosome structure or genetic content. Thus, substantial changes in the recombination landscape have so far had relatively subtle influences on patterns of X-linked molecular evolution in these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Moore
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Gregg W C Thomas
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Sebastian Mortimer
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Emily E K Kopania
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Kelsie E Hunnicutt
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, 80208, USA
| | | | - Erica L Larson
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, 80208, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Good
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
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22
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Ponnikas S, Sigeman H, Lundberg M, Hansson B. Extreme variation in recombination rate and genetic diversity along the Sylvioidea neo-sex chromosome. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:3566-3583. [PMID: 35578784 PMCID: PMC9327509 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Recombination strongly impacts sequence evolution by affecting the extent of linkage and the efficiency of selection. Here, we study recombination over the Z chromosome in great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) using pedigree‐based linkage mapping. This species has extended Z and W chromosomes (“neo‐sex chromosomes”) formed by a fusion between a part of chromosome 4A and the ancestral sex chromosomes, which provides a unique opportunity to assess recombination and sequence evolution in sex‐linked regions of different ages. We assembled an 87.54 Mbp and 90.19 cM large Z with a small pseudoautosomal region (0.89 Mbp) at one end and the fused Chr4A‐part at the other end of the chromosome. A prominent feature in our data was an extreme variation in male recombination rate along Z with high values at both chromosome ends, but an apparent lack of recombination over a substantial central section, covering 78% of the chromosome. The nonrecombining region showed a drastic loss of genetic diversity and accumulation of repeats compared to the recombining parts. Thus, our data emphasize a key role of recombination in affecting local levels of polymorphism. Nonetheless, the evolutionary rate of genes (dN/dS) did not differ between high and low recombining regions, suggesting that the efficiency of selection on protein‐coding sequences can be maintained also at very low levels of recombination. Finally, the Chr4A‐derived part showed a similar recombination rate as the part of the ancestral Z that did recombine, but its sequence characteristics reflected both its previous autosomal, and current Z‐linked, recombination patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvi Ponnikas
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Hanna Sigeman
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Max Lundberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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23
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Beaudry FEG, Rifkin JL, Peake AL, Kim D, Jarvis-Cross M, Barrett SCH, Wright SI. Effects of the neo-X chromosome on genomic signatures of hybridization in Rumex hastatulus. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:3708-3721. [PMID: 35569016 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Natural hybrid zones provide opportunities for studies of the evolution of reproductive isolation in wild populations. Although recent investigations have found that the formation of neo-sex chromosomes is associated with reproductive isolation, the mechanisms remain unclear in most cases. Here, we assess the contemporary structure of gene flow in the contact zone between largely allopatric cytotypes of the dioecious plant Rumex hastatulus, a species with evidence of sex chromosome turn-over. Males to the west of the Mississippi river, USA, have an X and a single Y chromosome, whereas populations to the east of the river have undergone a chromosomal rearrangement giving rise to a larger X and two Y chromosomes. Using reduced-representation sequencing, we provide evidence that hybrids form readily and survive multiple backcross generations in the field, demonstrating the potential for ongoing gene flow between the cytotypes. Cline analysis of each chromosome separately captured no signals of difference in cline shape between chromosomes. However, principal component regression revealed a significant increase in the contribution of individual SNPs to inter-cytotype differentiation on the neo-X chromosome, but no correlation with recombination rate. Cline analysis revealed that the only SNPs with significantly steeper clines than the genome average were located on the neo-X. Our data are consistent with a role for neo-sex chromosomes in reproductive isolation between R. hastatulus cytotypes. Our investigation highlights the importance of studying plant hybrid zones for understanding the evolution of sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix E G Beaudry
- The University of Toronto, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joanna L Rifkin
- The University of Toronto, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amanda L Peake
- The University of Toronto, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Deanna Kim
- The University of Toronto, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Madeline Jarvis-Cross
- The University of Toronto, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Spencer C H Barrett
- The University of Toronto, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen I Wright
- The University of Toronto, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Toronto, ON, Canada
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24
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Rifkin JL, Hnatovska S, Yuan M, Sacchi BM, Choudhury BI, Gong Y, Rastas P, Barrett SCH, Wright SI. Recombination landscape dimorphism and sex chromosome evolution in the dioecious plant Rumex hastatulus. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210226. [PMID: 35306892 PMCID: PMC8935318 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence from diverse taxa for sex differences in the genomic landscape of recombination, but the causes and consequences of these differences remain poorly understood. Strong recombination landscape dimorphism between the sexes could have important implications for the dynamics of sex chromosome evolution because low recombination in the heterogametic sex can favour the spread of sexually antagonistic alleles. Here, we present a sex-specific linkage map and revised genome assembly of Rumex hastatulus and provide the first evidence and characterization of sex differences in recombination landscape in a dioecious plant. We present data on significant sex differences in recombination, with regions of very low recombination in males covering over half of the genome. This pattern is evident on both sex chromosomes and autosomes, suggesting that pre-existing differences in recombination may have contributed to sex chromosome formation and divergence. Our analysis of segregation distortion suggests that haploid selection due to pollen competition occurs disproportionately in regions with low male recombination. We hypothesize that sex differences in the recombination landscape have contributed to the formation of a large heteromorphic pair of sex chromosomes in R. hastatulus, but more comparative analyses of recombination will be important to investigate this hypothesis further. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sex determination and sex chromosome evolution in land plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna L Rifkin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Solomiya Hnatovska
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Meng Yuan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Bianca M Sacchi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Baharul I Choudhury
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3B2.,Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 396
| | - Yunchen Gong
- Centre for Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Pasi Rastas
- Institute of Biotechnology, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Spencer C H Barrett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Stephen I Wright
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3B2.,Centre for Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3B2
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25
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Charlesworth D. Some thoughts about the words we use for thinking about sex chromosome evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210314. [PMID: 35306893 PMCID: PMC8935297 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are familiar to most biologists since they first learned about genetics. However, research over the past 100 years has revealed that different organisms have evolved sex-determining systems independently. The differences in the ages of systems, and in how they evolved, both affect whether sex chromosomes have evolved. However, the diversity means that the terminology used tends to emphasize either the similarities or the differences, sometimes causing misunderstandings. In this article, I discuss some concepts where special care is needed with terminology. The following four terms regularly create problems: ‘sex chromosome’, ‘master sex-determining gene’, ‘evolutionary strata’ and ‘genetic degeneration’. There is no generally correct or wrong use of these words, but efforts are necessary to make clear how they are to be understood in specific situations. I briefly outline some widely accepted ideas about sex chromosomes, and then discuss these ‘problem terms’, highlighting some examples where careful use of the words helps bring to light current uncertainties and interesting questions for future work. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Sex determination and sex chromosome evolution in land plants’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LF, UK
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26
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Gerchen JF, Veltsos P, Pannell JR. Recurrent allopolyploidization, Y-chromosome introgression and the evolution of sexual systems in the plant genus Mercurialis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210224. [PMID: 35306889 PMCID: PMC8935306 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0224] [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] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The plant genus Mercurialis includes dioecious, monoecious and androdioecious species (where males coexist with hermaphrodites). Its diversification involved reticulate evolution via hybridization and polyploidization. The Y chromosome of the diploid species Mercurialis annua shows only mild signs of degeneration. We used sequence variation at a Y-linked locus in several species and at multiple autosomal and pseudoautosomal loci to investigate the origin and evolution of the Y chromosome across the genus. Our study provides evidence for further cases of allopolyploid speciation. It also reveals that all lineages with separate sexes (with one possible exception) share the same ancestral Y chromosome. Surprisingly, males in androdioecious populations of hexaploid M. annua carry a Y chromosome that is not derived from either of its two putative progenitor lineages but from a more distantly related perennial dioecious lineage via introgression. These results throw new light on the evolution of sexual systems and polyploidy in Mercurialis and secure it as a promising model for further study of plant sex chromosomes. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sex determination and sex chromosome evolution in land plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Gerchen
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - P Veltsos
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - J R Pannell
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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27
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Gong W, Filatov DA. Evolution of the sex-determining region in Ginkgo biloba. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210229. [PMID: 35306884 PMCID: PMC8935300 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes or sex-determining regions (SDR) have been discovered in many dioecious plant species, including the iconic ‘living fossil' Ginkgo biloba, though the location and size of the SDR in G. biloba remain contradictory. Here we resolve these controversies and analyse the evolution of the SDR in this species. Based on transcriptome sequencing data from four genetic crosses we reconstruct male- and female-specific genetic maps and locate the SDR to the middle of chromosome 2. Integration of the genetic maps with the genome sequence reveals that recombination in and around the SDR is suppressed in a region of about 50 Mb in both males and females. However, occasional recombination does occur except a small, less than 5 Mb long region that does not recombine in males. Based on synonymous divergence between homologous X- and Y-linked genes in this region, we infer that the Ginkgo SDR is fairly old—at least of Cretaceous origin. The analysis of substitution rates and gene expression reveals only slight Y-degeneration. These results are consistent with findings in other dioecious plants with homomorphic sex chromosomes, where the SDR is typically small and evolves in a region with pre-existing reduced recombination, surrounded by long actively recombining pseudoautosomal regions. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Sex determination and sex chromosome evolution in land plants’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Gong
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, People's Republic of China.,Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Dmitry A Filatov
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
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28
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The evolution of gene regulation on sex chromosomes. Trends Genet 2022; 38:844-855. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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29
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Ruiz-Herrera A, Waters PD. Fragile, unfaithful and persistent Ys-on how meiosis can shape sex chromosome evolution. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 129:22-30. [PMID: 35459933 PMCID: PMC9273583 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00532-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-linked inheritance is a stark exception to Mendel's Laws of Heredity. Here we discuss how the evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes (mainly the Y) has been shaped by the intricacies of the meiotic programme. We propose that persistence of Y chromosomes in distantly related mammalian phylogroups can be explained in the context of pseudoautosomal region (PAR) size, meiotic pairing strategies, and the presence of Y-borne executioner genes that regulate meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. We hypothesise that variation in PAR size can be an important driver for the evolution of recombination frequencies genome wide, imposing constraints on Y fate. If small PAR size compromises XY segregation during male meiosis, the stress of producing aneuploid gametes could drive function away from the Y (i.e., a fragile Y). The Y chromosome can avoid fragility either by acquiring an achiasmatic meiotic XY pairing strategy to reduce aneuploid gamete production, or gain meiotic executioner protection (a persistent Y). Persistent Ys will then be under strong pressure to maintain high recombination rates in the PAR (and subsequently genome wide), as improper segregation has fatal consequences for germ cells. In the event that executioner protection is lost, the Y chromosome can be maintained in the population by either PAR rejuvenation (extension by addition of autosome material) or gaining achiasmatic meiotic pairing, the alternative is Y loss. Under this dynamic cyclic evolutionary scenario, understanding the meiotic programme in vertebrate and invertebrate species will be crucial to further understand the plasticity of the rise and fall of heteromorphic sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Ruiz-Herrera
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain. .,Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain.
| | - Paul D Waters
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
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30
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Do Ty3/Gypsy Transposable Elements Play Preferential Roles in Sex Chromosome Differentiation? Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12040522. [PMID: 35455013 PMCID: PMC9025612 DOI: 10.3390/life12040522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) comprise a substantial portion of eukaryotic genomes. They have the unique ability to integrate into new locations and serve as the main source of genomic novelties by mediating chromosomal rearrangements and regulating portions of functional genes. Recent studies have revealed that TEs are abundant in sex chromosomes. In this review, we propose evolutionary relationships between specific TEs, such as Ty3/Gypsy, and sex chromosomes in different lineages based on the hypothesis that these elements contributed to sex chromosome differentiation processes. We highlight how TEs can drive the dynamics of sex-determining regions via suppression recombination under a selective force to affect the organization and structural evolution of sex chromosomes. The abundance of TEs in the sex-determining regions originates from TE-poor genomic regions, suggesting a link between TE accumulation and the emergence of the sex-determining regions. TEs are generally considered to be a hallmark of chromosome degeneration. Finally, we outline recent approaches to identify TEs and study their sex-related roles and effects in the differentiation and evolution of sex chromosomes.
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31
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Ramos L, Antunes A. Decoding sex: Elucidating sex determination and how high-quality genome assemblies are untangling the evolutionary dynamics of sex chromosomes. Genomics 2022; 114:110277. [PMID: 35104609 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction is a diverse and widespread process. In gonochoristic species, the differentiation of sexes occurs through diverse mechanisms, influenced by environmental and genetic factors. In most vertebrates, a master-switch gene is responsible for triggering a sex determination network. However, only a few genes have acquired master-switch functions, and this process is associated with the evolution of sex-chromosomes, which have a significant influence in evolution. Additionally, their highly repetitive regions impose challenges for high-quality sequencing, even using high-throughput, state-of-the-art techniques. Here, we review the mechanisms involved in sex determination and their role in the evolution of species, particularly vertebrates, focusing on sex chromosomes and the challenges involved in sequencing these genomic elements. We also address the improvements provided by the growth of sequencing projects, by generating a massive number of near-gapless, telomere-to-telomere, chromosome-level, phased assemblies, increasing the number and quality of sex-chromosome sequences available for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Ramos
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
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32
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Deanna R, Acosta MC, Scaldaferro M, Chiarini F. Chromosome Evolution in the Family Solanaceae. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:787590. [PMID: 35154179 PMCID: PMC8832121 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.787590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This review summarizes and discusses the knowledge of cytogenetics in Solanaceae, the tomato family, its current applications, and prospects for making progress in fundamental systematic botany and plant evolution. We compile information on basic chromosome features (number, size, morphology) and molecular cytogenetics (chromosome banding and rDNA patterns). These data were mapped onto the Solanaceae family tree to better visualize the changes in chromosome features and evaluate them in a phylogenetic context. We conclude that chromosomal features are important in understanding the evolution of the family, especially in delimiting clades, and therefore it is necessary to continue producing this type of data. The potential for future applications in plant biology is outlined. Finally, we provide insights into understanding the mechanisms underlying Solanaceae's diversification that could substantially contribute to developing new approaches for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Deanna
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | | | - Marisel Scaldaferro
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Franco Chiarini
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
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33
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Jeffries DL, Gerchen JF, Scharmann M, Pannell JR. A neutral model for the loss of recombination on sex chromosomes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200096. [PMID: 34247504 PMCID: PMC8273504 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The loss of recombination between sex chromosomes has occurred repeatedly throughout nature, with important implications for their subsequent evolution. Explanations for this remarkable convergence have generally invoked only adaptive processes (e.g. sexually antagonistic selection); however, there is still little evidence for these hypotheses. Here we propose a model in which recombination on sex chromosomes is lost due to the neutral accumulation of sequence divergence adjacent to (and thus, in linkage disequilibrium with) the sex determiner. Importantly, we include in our model the fact that sequence divergence, in any form, reduces the probability of recombination between any two sequences. Using simulations, we show that, under certain conditions, a region of suppressed recombination arises and expands outwards from the sex-determining locus, under purely neutral processes. Further, we show that the rate and pattern of recombination loss are sensitive to the pre-existing recombination landscape of the genome and to sex differences in recombination rates, with patterns consistent with evolutionary strata emerging under some conditions. We discuss the applicability of these results to natural systems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L. Jeffries
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jörn F. Gerchen
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Scharmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - John R. Pannell
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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34
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Xue L, Gao Y, Wu M, Tian T, Fan H, Huang Y, Huang Z, Li D, Xu L. Telomere-to-telomere assembly of a fish Y chromosome reveals the origin of a young sex chromosome pair. Genome Biol 2021; 22:203. [PMID: 34253240 PMCID: PMC8273981 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02430-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The origin of sex chromosomes requires the establishment of recombination suppression between the proto-sex chromosomes. In many fish species, the sex chromosome pair is homomorphic with a recent origin, providing species for studying how and why recombination suppression evolved in the initial stages of sex chromosome differentiation, but this requires accurate sequence assembly of the X and Y (or Z and W) chromosomes, which may be difficult if they are recently diverged. RESULTS Here we produce a haplotype-resolved genome assembly of zig-zag eel (Mastacembelus armatus), an aquaculture fish, at the chromosomal scale. The diploid assembly is nearly gap-free, and in most chromosomes, we resolve the centromeric and subtelomeric heterochromatic sequences. In particular, the Y chromosome, including its highly repetitive short arm, has zero gaps. Using resequencing data, we identify a ~7 Mb fully sex-linked region (SLR), spanning the sex chromosome centromere and almost entirely embedded in the pericentromeric heterochromatin. The SLRs on the X and Y chromosomes are almost identical in sequence and gene content, but both are repetitive and heterochromatic, consistent with zero or low recombination. We further identify an HMG-domain containing gene HMGN6 in the SLR as a candidate sex-determining gene that is expressed at the onset of testis development. CONCLUSIONS Our study supports the idea that preexisting regions of low recombination, such as pericentromeric regions, can give rise to SLR in the absence of structural variations between the proto-sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhan Xue
- College of Fisheries, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.,Aquaculture and Genetic Breeding Laboratory, Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yu Gao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for Plateau Fishery Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Meiying Wu
- Aquaculture and Genetic Breeding Laboratory, Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Tian Tian
- Aquaculture and Genetic Breeding Laboratory, Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Haiping Fan
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yongji Huang
- Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, 350108, China
| | - Zhen Huang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China. .,Fujian Key Laboratory of Special Marine Bio-resources Sustainable Utilization, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China.
| | - Dapeng Li
- College of Fisheries, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China. .,Freshwater Aquaculture Collaborative Innovation Center of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Luohao Xu
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Carey S, Yu Q, Harkess A. The Diversity of Plant Sex Chromosomes Highlighted through Advances in Genome Sequencing. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:381. [PMID: 33800038 PMCID: PMC8000587 DOI: 10.3390/genes12030381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
For centuries, scientists have been intrigued by the origin of dioecy in plants, characterizing sex-specific development, uncovering cytological differences between the sexes, and developing theoretical models. Through the invention and continued improvements in genomic technologies, we have truly begun to unlock the genetic basis of dioecy in many species. Here we broadly review the advances in research on dioecy and sex chromosomes. We start by first discussing the early works that built the foundation for current studies and the advances in genome sequencing that have facilitated more-recent findings. We next discuss the analyses of sex chromosomes and sex-determination genes uncovered by genome sequencing. We synthesize these results to find some patterns are emerging, such as the role of duplications, the involvement of hormones in sex-determination, and support for the two-locus model for the origin of dioecy. Though across systems, there are also many novel insights into how sex chromosomes evolve, including different sex-determining genes and routes to suppressed recombination. We propose the future of research in plant sex chromosomes should involve interdisciplinary approaches, combining cutting-edge technologies with the classics to unravel the patterns that can be found across the hundreds of independent origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Carey
- Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA;
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
| | - Qingyi Yu
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University System, Dallas, TX 75252, USA
| | - Alex Harkess
- Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA;
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
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