51
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Huang Z, De O Furo I, Liu J, Peona V, Gomes AJB, Cen W, Huang H, Zhang Y, Chen D, Xue T, Zhang Q, Yue Z, Wang Q, Yu L, Chen Y, Suh A, de Oliveira EHC, Xu L. Recurrent chromosome reshuffling and the evolution of neo-sex chromosomes in parrots. Nat Commun 2022; 13:944. [PMID: 35177601 PMCID: PMC8854603 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28585-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The karyotype of most birds has remained considerably stable during more than 100 million years' evolution, except for some groups, such as parrots. The evolutionary processes and underlying genetic mechanism of chromosomal rearrangements in parrots, however, are poorly understood. Here, using chromosome-level assemblies of four parrot genomes, we uncover frequent chromosome fusions and fissions, with most of them occurring independently among lineages. The increased activities of chromosomal rearrangements in parrots are likely associated with parrot-specific loss of two genes, ALC1 and PARP3, that have known functions in the repair of double-strand breaks and maintenance of genome stability. We further find that the fusion of the ZW sex chromosomes and chromosome 11 has created a pair of neo-sex chromosomes in the ancestor of parrots, and the chromosome 25 has been further added to the sex chromosomes in monk parakeet. Together, the combination of our genomic and cytogenetic analyses characterizes the complex evolutionary history of chromosomal rearrangements and sex chromosomes in parrots.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - Ivanete De O Furo
- Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA) Laboratório de Reprodução Animal (LABRAC), Parauapebas, PA, Brazil
- Laboratório de Citogenômica e Mutagênese Ambiental, SAMAM, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Ananindeua, Pará, Brazil
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Valentina Peona
- Department of Organismal Biology, Systematic Biology, Science for Life Laboratories, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Wan Cen
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Special Marine Bio-resources Sustainable Utilization, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Hao Huang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yanding Zhang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Duo Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Special Marine Bio-resources Sustainable Utilization, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Ting Xue
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Special Marine Bio-resources Sustainable Utilization, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Qiujin Zhang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Zhicao Yue
- Department of Cell Biology and Medical Genetics; International Cancer Center; and Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Disease Prevention, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Guangdong, China
| | - Quanxi Wang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Lingyu Yu
- Annoroad Gene Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Youling Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
| | - Alexander Suh
- Department of Organismal Biology, Systematic Biology, Science for Life Laboratories, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- School of Biological Sciences, Organisms and the Environment, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Edivaldo H C de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, PPGBM, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Laboratório de Cultura de Tecidos e Citogenética, SAMAM, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Ananindeua, Pará, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Luohao Xu
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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52
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Kirkpatrick M, Sardell JM, Pinto BJ, Dixon G, Peichel CL, Schartl M. Evolution of the canonical sex chromosomes of the guppy and its relatives. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:6472354. [PMID: 35100353 PMCID: PMC9335935 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
The sex chromosomes of the guppy, Poecilia reticulata, and its close relatives are of particular interest: they are much younger than the highly degenerate sex chromosomes of model systems such as humans and Drosophila melanogaster, and they carry many of the genes responsible for the males' dramatic coloration. Over the last decade, several studies have analyzed these sex chromosomes using a variety of approaches including sequencing genomes and transcriptomes, cytology, and linkage mapping. Conflicting conclusions have emerged, in particular concerning the history of the sex chromosomes and the evolution of suppressed recombination between the X and Y. Here, we address these controversies by reviewing the evidence and reanalyzing data. We find no evidence of a nonrecombining sex-determining region or evolutionary strata in P. reticulata. Furthermore, we find that the data most strongly support the hypothesis that the sex-determining regions of 2 close relatives of the guppy, Poecilia wingei and Micropoecilia picta, evolved independently after their lineages diverged. We identify possible causes of conflicting results in previous studies and suggest best practices going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Kirkpatrick
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jason M Sardell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Brendan J Pinto
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Groves Dixon
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Catherine L Peichel
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Developmental Biochemistry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg97074, Germany.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
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53
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Dynamic Patterns of Sex Chromosome Evolution in Neognath Birds: Many Independent Barriers to Recombination at the ATP5F1A Locus. BIRDS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/birds3010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian sex chromosomes evolved after the divergence of birds and crocodilians from their common ancestor, so they are younger than the better-studied chromosomes of mammals. It has long been recognized that there may have been several stages to the evolution of avian sex chromosomes. For example, the CHD1 undergoes recombination in paleognaths but not neognaths. Genome assemblies have suggested that there may be variation in the timing of barriers to recombination among Neognathae, but there remains little understanding of the extent of this variability. Here, we look at partial sequences of ATP5F1A, which is on the avian Z and W chromosomes. It is known that recombination of this gene has independently ceased in Galliformes, Anseriformes, and at least five neoavian orders, but whether there are other independent cessations of recombination among Neoaves is not understood. We analyzed a combination of data extracted from published chromosomal-level genomes with data collected using PCR and cloning to identify Z and W copies in 22 orders. Our results suggest that there may be at least 19 independent cessations of recombination within Neognathae, and 3 clades that may still be undergoing recombination (or have only recently ceased recombination). Analyses of ATP5F1A protein sequences revealed an increased amino acid substitution rate for W chromosome gametologs, suggesting relaxed purifying selection on the W chromosome. Supporting this hypothesis, we found that the increased substitution rate was particularly pronounced for buried residues, which are expected to be more strongly constrained by purifying selection. This highlights the dynamic nature of avian sex chromosomes, and that this level of variation among clades means they should be a good system to understand sex chromosome evolution.
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54
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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: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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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55
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Sex differences in immune gene expression in the brain of a small shorebird. Immunogenetics 2022; 74:487-496. [PMID: 35084547 PMCID: PMC8792134 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-022-01253-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Males and females often exhibit differences in behaviour, life histories, and ecology, many of which are typically reflected in their brains. Neuronal protection and maintenance include complex processes led by the microglia, which also interacts with metabolites such as hormones or immune components. Despite increasing interest in sex-specific brain function in laboratory animals, the significance of sex-specific immune activation in the brain of wild animals along with the variables that could affect it is widely lacking. Here, we use the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) to study sex differences in expression of immune genes in the brain of adult males and females, in two wild populations breeding in contrasting habitats: a coastal sea-level population and a high-altitude inland population in China. Our analysis yielded 379 genes associated with immune function. We show a significant male-biased immune gene upregulation. Immune gene expression in the brain did not differ in upregulation between the coastal and inland populations. We discuss the role of dosage compensation in our findings and their evolutionary significance mediated by sex-specific survival and neuronal deterioration. Similar expression profiles in the coastal and inland populations suggest comparable genetic control by the microglia and possible similarities in pathogen pressures between habitats. We call for further studies on gene expression of males and females in wild population to understand the implications of immune function for life-histories and demography in natural systems.
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56
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Sigeman H, Strandh M, Proux-Wéra E, Kutschera VE, Ponnikas S, Zhang H, Lundberg M, Soler L, Bunikis I, Tarka M, Hasselquist D, Nystedt B, Westerdahl H, Hansson B. Avian Neo-Sex Chromosomes Reveal Dynamics of Recombination Suppression and W Degeneration. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5275-5291. [PMID: 34542640 PMCID: PMC8662655 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
How the avian sex chromosomes first evolved from autosomes remains elusive as 100 million years (My) of divergence and degeneration obscure their evolutionary history. The Sylvioidea group of songbirds is interesting for understanding avian sex chromosome evolution because a chromosome fusion event ∼24 Ma formed "neo-sex chromosomes" consisting of an added (new) and an ancestral (old) part. Here, we report the complete female genome (ZW) of one Sylvioidea species, the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). Our long-read assembly shows that the added region has been translocated to both Z and W, and whereas the added-Z has retained its gene order the added-W part has been heavily rearranged. Phylogenetic analyses show that recombination between the homologous added-Z and -W regions continued after the fusion event, and that recombination suppression across this region took several million years to be completed. Moreover, recombination suppression was initiated across multiple positions over the added-Z, which is not consistent with a simple linear progression starting from the fusion point. As expected following recombination suppression, the added-W show signs of degeneration including repeat accumulation and gene loss. Finally, we present evidence for nonrandom maintenance of slowly evolving and dosage-sensitive genes on both ancestral- and added-W, a process causing correlated evolution among orthologous genes across broad taxonomic groups, regardless of sex linkage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Sigeman
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Strandh
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Estelle Proux-Wéra
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Verena E Kutschera
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Suvi Ponnikas
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hongkai Zhang
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Max Lundberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Lucile Soler
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ignas Bunikis
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala Genome Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maja Tarka
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Björn Nystedt
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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57
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Sex Chromosomes and Master Sex-Determining Genes in Turtles and Other Reptiles. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111822. [PMID: 34828428 PMCID: PMC8622242 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Among tetrapods, the well differentiated heteromorphic sex chromosomes of birds and mammals have been highly investigated and their master sex-determining (MSD) gene, Dmrt1 and SRY, respectively, have been identified. The homomorphic sex chromosomes of reptiles have been the least studied, but the gap with birds and mammals has begun to fill. This review describes our current knowledge of reptilian sex chromosomes at the cytogenetic and molecular level. Most of it arose recently from various studies comparing male to female gene content. This includes restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq) experiments in several male and female samples, RNA sequencing and identification of Z- or X-linked genes by male/female comparative transcriptome coverage, and male/female transcriptomic or transcriptome/genome substraction approaches allowing the identification of Y- or W-linked transcripts. A few putative master sex-determining (MSD) genes have been proposed, but none has been demonstrated yet. Lastly, future directions in the field of reptilian sex chromosomes and their MSD gene studies are considered.
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58
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Okuno M, Mizushima S, Kuroiwa A, Itoh T. Analysis of Sex Chromosome Evolution in the Clade Palaeognathae from Phased Genome Assembly. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6413640. [PMID: 34718546 PMCID: PMC8599748 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds in the clade Palaeognathae, excluding Tinamiformes, have morphologically conserved karyotypes and less differentiated ZW sex chromosomes compared with those of other birds. In particular, the sex chromosomes of the ostrich and emu have exceptionally large recombining pseudoautosomal regions (PARs), whereas non-PARs are classified into two strata according to the date of their origins: stratum 0 and stratum 1 (S1). However, the construction and analysis of the genome sequences in these regions in the clade Palaeognathae can be challenging because assembling the S1 region is difficult owing to low sequence diversity between gametologs (Z-linked and W-linked sequences). We addressed this issue by applying the Platanus-allee assembler and successfully constructed the haplotype-resolved (phased) assembly for female emu, cassowary, and ostrich using only sequence read data derived from the Illumina platform. Comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses based on assembled Z-linked and W-linked sequences confirmed that the S1 region of emu and cassowary formed in their common ancestor. Moreover, the interspersed repetitive sequence landscapes in the S1 regions of female emu showed an expansion of younger repetitive elements in the W-linked S1 region, suggesting an interruption in homologous recombination in the S1 region. These results provide novel insights into the trajectory of sex chromosome evolution in the clade Palaeognathae and suggest that the Illumina-based phased assembly method is an effective approach for elucidating the evolutionary process underlying the transition from homomorphic to differentiated sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Okuno
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Microbiology, Department of Infectious Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shusei Mizushima
- Division of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Asato Kuroiwa
- Division of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takehiko Itoh
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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59
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Bravo GA, Schmitt CJ, Edwards SV. What Have We Learned from the First 500 Avian Genomes? ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012121-085928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The increased capacity of DNA sequencing has significantly advanced our understanding of the phylogeny of birds and the proximate and ultimate mechanisms molding their genomic diversity. In less than a decade, the number of available avian reference genomes has increased to over 500—approximately 5% of bird diversity—placing birds in a privileged position to advance the fields of phylogenomics and comparative, functional, and population genomics. Whole-genome sequence data, as well as indels and rare genomic changes, are further resolving the avian tree of life. The accumulation of bird genomes, increasingly with long-read sequence data, greatly improves the resolution of genomic features such as germline-restricted chromosomes and the W chromosome, and is facilitating the comparative integration of genotypes and phenotypes. Community-based initiatives such as the Bird 10,000 Genomes Project and Vertebrate Genome Project are playing a fundamental role in amplifying and coalescing a vibrant international program in avian comparative genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo A. Bravo
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA;, ,
| | - C. Jonathan Schmitt
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA;, ,
| | - Scott V. Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA;, ,
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60
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Shared evolutionary trajectories of three independent neo-sex chromosomes in Drosophila. Genome Res 2021; 31:2069-2079. [PMID: 34675069 PMCID: PMC8559708 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275503.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Dosage compensation (DC) on the X Chromosome counteracts the deleterious effects of gene loss on the Y Chromosome. However, DC is not efficient if the X Chromosome also degenerates. This indeed occurs in Drosophila miranda, in which both the neo-Y and the neo-X are under accelerated pseudogenization. To examine the generality of this pattern, we investigated the evolution of two additional neo-sex chromosomes that emerged independently in D. albomicans and D. americana and reanalyzed neo-sex chromosome evolution in D. miranda. Comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that the pseudogenization rate on the neo-X is also accelerated in D. albomicans and D. americana although to a lesser extent than in D. miranda. In males, neo-X-linked genes whose neo-Y-linked homologs are pseudogenized tended to be up-regulated more than those whose neo-Y-linked homologs remain functional. Moreover, genes under strong functional constraint and genes highly expressed in the testis tended to remain functional on the neo-X and neo-Y, respectively. Focusing on the D. miranda and D. albomicans neo-sex chromosomes that emerged independently from the same autosome, we further found that the same genes tend to become pseudogenized in parallel on the neo-Y. These genes include Idgf6 and JhI-26, which may be unnecessary or even harmful in males. Our results indicate that neo-sex chromosomes in Drosophila share a common evolutionary trajectory after their emergence, which may prevent sex chromosomes from being an evolutionary dead end.
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61
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Sardell JM, Josephson MP, Dalziel AC, Peichel CL, Kirkpatrick M. Heterogeneous Histories of Recombination Suppression on Stickleback Sex Chromosomes. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:4403-4418. [PMID: 34117766 PMCID: PMC8476171 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
How consistent are the evolutionary trajectories of sex chromosomes shortly after they form? Insights into the evolution of recombination, differentiation, and degeneration can be provided by comparing closely related species with homologous sex chromosomes. The sex chromosomes of the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and its sister species, the Japan Sea stickleback (G. nipponicus), have been well characterized. Little is known, however, about the sex chromosomes of their congener, the blackspotted stickleback (G. wheatlandi). We used pedigrees to obtain experimentally phased whole genome sequences from blackspotted stickleback X and Y chromosomes. Using multispecies gene trees and analysis of shared duplications, we demonstrate that Chromosome 19 is the ancestral sex chromosome and that its oldest stratum evolved in the common ancestor of the genus. After the blackspotted lineage diverged, its sex chromosomes experienced independent and more extensive recombination suppression, greater X-Y differentiation, and a much higher rate of Y degeneration than the other two species. These patterns may result from a smaller effective population size in the blackspotted stickleback. A recent fusion between the ancestral blackspotted stickleback Y chromosome and Chromosome 12, which produced a neo-X and neo-Y, may have been favored by the very small size of the recombining region on the ancestral sex chromosome. We identify six strata on the ancestral and neo-sex chromosomes where recombination between the X and Y ceased at different times. These results confirm that sex chromosomes can evolve large differences within and between species over short evolutionary timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Sardell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | - Anne C Dalziel
- Department of Biology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | - Mark Kirkpatrick
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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62
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Estermann MA, Major AT, Smith CA. Genetic Regulation of Avian Testis Development. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1459. [PMID: 34573441 PMCID: PMC8470383 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As in other vertebrates, avian testes are the site of spermatogenesis and androgen production. The paired testes of birds differentiate during embryogenesis, first marked by the development of pre-Sertoli cells in the gonadal primordium and their condensation into seminiferous cords. Germ cells become enclosed in these cords and enter mitotic arrest, while steroidogenic Leydig cells subsequently differentiate around the cords. This review describes our current understanding of avian testis development at the cell biology and genetic levels. Most of this knowledge has come from studies on the chicken embryo, though other species are increasingly being examined. In chicken, testis development is governed by the Z-chromosome-linked DMRT1 gene, which directly or indirectly activates the male factors, HEMGN, SOX9 and AMH. Recent single cell RNA-seq has defined cell lineage specification during chicken testis development, while comparative studies point to deep conservation of avian testis formation. Lastly, we identify areas of future research on the genetics of avian testis development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Craig Allen Smith
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (M.A.E.); (A.T.M.)
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63
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Peona V, Palacios-Gimenez OM, Blommaert J, Liu J, Haryoko T, Jønsson KA, Irestedt M, Zhou Q, Jern P, Suh A. The avian W chromosome is a refugium for endogenous retroviruses with likely effects on female-biased mutational load and genetic incompatibilities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200186. [PMID: 34304594 PMCID: PMC8310711 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It is a broadly observed pattern that the non-recombining regions of sex-limited chromosomes (Y and W) accumulate more repeats than the rest of the genome, even in species like birds with a low genome-wide repeat content. Here, we show that in birds with highly heteromorphic sex chromosomes, the W chromosome has a transposable element (TE) density of greater than 55% compared to the genome-wide density of less than 10%, and contains over half of all full-length (thus potentially active) endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) of the entire genome. Using RNA-seq and protein mass spectrometry data, we were able to detect signatures of female-specific ERV expression. We hypothesize that the avian W chromosome acts as a refugium for active ERVs, probably leading to female-biased mutational load that may influence female physiology similar to the 'toxic-Y' effect in Drosophila males. Furthermore, Haldane's rule predicts that the heterogametic sex has reduced fertility in hybrids. We propose that the excess of W-linked active ERVs over the rest of the genome may be an additional explanatory variable for Haldane's rule, with consequences for genetic incompatibilities between species through TE/repressor mismatches in hybrids. Together, our results suggest that the sequence content of female-specific W chromosomes can have effects far beyond sex determination and gene dosage. 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 II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Peona
- Department of Organismal Biology—Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Julie Blommaert
- Department of Organismal Biology—Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jing Liu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neuroscience and Development, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tri Haryoko
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Centre for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Cibinong, Indonesia
| | - Knud A. Jønsson
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Irestedt
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Qi Zhou
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neuroscience and Development, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310052, People's Republic of China
| | - Patric Jern
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alexander Suh
- Department of Organismal Biology—Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- School of Biological Sciences—Organisms and the Environment, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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Kratochvíl L, Stöck M, Rovatsos M, Bullejos M, Herpin A, Jeffries DL, Peichel CL, Perrin N, Valenzuela N, Pokorná MJ. Expanding the classical paradigm: what we have learnt from vertebrates about sex chromosome evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200097. [PMID: 34304593 PMCID: PMC8310716 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Until recently, the field of sex chromosome evolution has been dominated by the canonical unidirectional scenario, first developed by Muller in 1918. This model postulates that sex chromosomes emerge from autosomes by acquiring a sex-determining locus. Recombination reduction then expands outwards from this locus, to maintain its linkage with sexually antagonistic/advantageous alleles, resulting in Y or W degeneration and potentially culminating in their disappearance. Based mostly on empirical vertebrate research, we challenge and expand each conceptual step of this canonical model and present observations by numerous experts in two parts of a theme issue of Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. We suggest that greater theoretical and empirical insights into the events at the origins of sex-determining genes (rewiring of the gonadal differentiation networks), and a better understanding of the evolutionary forces responsible for recombination suppression are required. Among others, crucial questions are: Why do sex chromosome differentiation rates and the evolution of gene dose regulatory mechanisms between male versus female heterogametic systems not follow earlier theory? Why do several lineages not have sex chromosomes? And: What are the consequences of the presence of (differentiated) sex chromosomes for individual fitness, evolvability, hybridization and diversification? We conclude that the classical scenario appears too reductionistic. Instead of being unidirectional, we show that sex chromosome evolution is more complex than previously anticipated and principally forms networks, interconnected to potentially endless outcomes with restarts, deletions and additions of new genomic material. 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 II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Matthias Stöck
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries - IGB (Forschungsverbund Berlin), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mónica Bullejos
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Jaén, Las Lagunillas Campus S/N, 23071 Jaén, Spain
| | - Amaury Herpin
- INRAE, LPGP, 35000 Rennes, France
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Daniel L. Jeffries
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Catherine L. Peichel
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Perrin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Martina Johnson Pokorná
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, Liběchov, Czech Republic
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65
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Sember A, Nguyen P, Perez MF, Altmanová M, Ráb P, Cioffi MDB. Multiple sex chromosomes in teleost fishes from a cytogenetic perspective: state of the art and future challenges. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200098. [PMID: 34304595 PMCID: PMC8310710 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of cytogenetic and genomic research of dynamic sex chromosome evolution in teleost fishes, multiple sex chromosomes have been largely neglected. In this review, we compiled available data on teleost multiple sex chromosomes, identified major trends in their evolution and suggest further trajectories in their investigation. In a compiled dataset of 440 verified records of fish sex chromosomes, we counted 75 multiple sex chromosome systems with 60 estimated independent origins. We showed that male-heterogametic systems created by Y-autosome fusion predominate and that multiple sex chromosomes are over-represented in the order Perciformes. We documented a striking difference in patterns of differentiation of sex chromosomes between male and female heterogamety and hypothesize that faster W sex chromosome differentiation may constrain sex chromosome turnover in female-heterogametic systems. We also found no significant association between the mechanism of multiple sex chromosome formation and percentage of uni-armed chromosomes in teleost karyotypes. Last but not least, we hypothesized that interaction between fish populations, which differ in their sex chromosomes, can drive the evolution of multiple sex chromosomes in fishes. This underlines the importance of broader inter-population sampling in studies of fish sex chromosomes. 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 II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandr Sember
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Nguyen
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Liběchov, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Manolo F. Perez
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luiz km 235 cep, 13565-905, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Marie Altmanová
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Liběchov, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Ráb
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Marcelo de Bello Cioffi
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luiz km 235 cep, 13565-905, São Carlos, Brazil
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Kratochvíl L, Gamble T, Rovatsos M. Sex chromosome evolution among amniotes: is the origin of sex chromosomes non-random? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200108. [PMID: 34304592 PMCID: PMC8310715 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are a great example of a convergent evolution at the genomic level, having evolved dozens of times just within amniotes. An intriguing question is whether this repeated evolution was random, or whether some ancestral syntenic blocks have significantly higher chance to be co-opted for the role of sex chromosomes owing to their gene content related to gonad development. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the evolutionary history of sex determination and sex chromosomes in amniotes and evaluate the hypothesis of non-random emergence of sex chromosomes. The current data on the origin of sex chromosomes in amniotes suggest that their evolution is indeed non-random. However, this non-random pattern is not very strong, and many syntenic blocks representing putatively independently evolved sex chromosomes are unique. Still, repeatedly co-opted chromosomes are an excellent model system, as independent co-option of the same genomic region for the role of sex chromosome offers a great opportunity for testing evolutionary scenarios on the sex chromosome evolution under the explicit control for the genomic background and gene identity. Future studies should use these systems more to explore the convergent/divergent evolution of sex chromosomes. 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 II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
- Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
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Stöck M, Kratochvíl L, Kuhl H, Rovatsos M, Evans BJ, Suh A, Valenzuela N, Veyrunes F, Zhou Q, Gamble T, Capel B, Schartl M, Guiguen Y. A brief review of vertebrate sex evolution with a pledge for integrative research: towards ' sexomics'. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200426. [PMID: 34247497 PMCID: PMC8293304 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Triggers and biological processes controlling male or female gonadal differentiation vary in vertebrates, with sex determination (SD) governed by environmental factors or simple to complex genetic mechanisms that evolved repeatedly and independently in various groups. Here, we review sex evolution across major clades of vertebrates with information on SD, sexual development and reproductive modes. We offer an up-to-date review of divergence times, species diversity, genomic resources, genome size, occurrence and nature of polyploids, SD systems, sex chromosomes, SD genes, dosage compensation and sex-biased gene expression. Advances in sequencing technologies now enable us to study the evolution of SD at broader evolutionary scales, and we now hope to pursue a sexomics integrative research initiative across vertebrates. The vertebrate sexome comprises interdisciplinary and integrated information on sexual differentiation, development and reproduction at all biological levels, from genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes, to the organs involved in sexual and sex-specific processes, including gonads, secondary sex organs and those with transcriptional sex-bias. The sexome also includes ontogenetic and behavioural aspects of sexual differentiation, including malfunction and impairment of SD, sexual differentiation and fertility. Starting from data generated by high-throughput approaches, we encourage others to contribute expertise to building understanding of the sexomes of many key vertebrate species. 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)
- Matthias Stöck
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries—IGB (Forschungsverbund Berlin), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Heiner Kuhl
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries—IGB (Forschungsverbund Berlin), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Ben J. Evans
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Life Sciences Building Room 328, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Alexander Suh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TU, UK
- Department of Organismal Biology—Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Frédéric Veyrunes
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, ISEM UMR 5554 (CNRS/Université de Montpellier/IRD/EPHE), Montpellier, France
| | - Qi Zhou
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Blanche Capel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Developmental Biochemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
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Torgasheva A, Malinovskaya L, Zadesenets KS, Slobodchikova A, Shnaider E, Rubtsov N, Borodin P. Highly Conservative Pattern of Sex Chromosome Synapsis and Recombination in Neognathae Birds. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1358. [PMID: 34573341 PMCID: PMC8465153 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We analyzed the synapsis and recombination between Z and W chromosomes in the oocytes of nine neognath species: domestic chicken Gallus gallus domesticus, grey goose Anser anser, black tern Chlidonias niger, common tern Sterna hirundo, pale martin Riparia diluta, barn swallow Hirundo rustica, European pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, great tit Parus major and white wagtail Motacilla alba using immunolocalization of SYCP3, the main protein of the lateral elements of the synaptonemal complex, and MLH1, the mismatch repair protein marking mature recombination nodules. In all species examined, homologous synapsis occurs in a short region of variable size at the ends of Z and W chromosomes, where a single recombination nodule is located. The remaining parts of the sex chromosomes undergo synaptic adjustment and synapse non-homologously. In 25% of ZW bivalents of white wagtail, synapsis and recombination also occur at the secondary pairing region, which probably resulted from autosome-sex chromosome translocation. Using FISH with a paint probe specific to the germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) of the pale martin on the oocytes of the pale martin, barn swallow and great tit, we showed that both maternally inherited songbird chromosomes (GRC and W) share common sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Torgasheva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Lyubov Malinovskaya
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Kira S. Zadesenets
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
| | - Anastasia Slobodchikova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena Shnaider
- Bird of Prey Rehabilitation Centre, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
| | - Nikolai Rubtsov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Pavel Borodin
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
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Estermann MA, Mariette MM, Moreau JLM, Combes AN, Smith CA. PAX 2 + Mesenchymal Origin of Gonadal Supporting Cells Is Conserved in Birds. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:735203. [PMID: 34513849 PMCID: PMC8429852 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.735203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During embryonic gonadal development, the supporting cell lineage is the first cell type to differentiate, giving rise to Sertoli cells in the testis and pre-granulosa cells in the ovary. These cells are thought to direct other gonadal cell lineages down the testis or ovarian pathways, including the germline. Recent research has shown that, in contrast to mouse, chicken gonadal supporting cells derive from a PAX2/OSR1/DMRT1/WNT4 positive mesenchymal cell population. These cells colonize the undifferentiated genital ridge during early gonadogenesis, around the time that germ cells migrate into the gonad. During the process of somatic gonadal sex differentiation, PAX2 expression is down-regulated in embryonic chicken gonads just prior to up-regulation of testis- and ovary-specific markers and prior to germ cell differentiation. Most research on avian gonadal development has focused on the chicken model, and related species from the Galloanserae clade. There is a lack of knowledge on gonadal sex differentiation in other avian lineages. Comparative analysis in birds is required to fully understand the mechanisms of avian sex determination and gonadal differentiation. Here we report the first comparative molecular characterization of gonadal supporting cell differentiation in birds from each of the three main clades, Galloanserae (chicken and quail), Neoaves (zebra finch) and Palaeognathe (emu). Our analysis reveals conservation of PAX2+ expression and a mesenchymal origin of supporting cells in each clade. Moreover, down-regulation of PAX2 expression precisely defines the onset of gonadal sex differentiation in each species. Altogether, these results indicate that gonadal morphogenesis is conserved among the major bird clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A. Estermann
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Mylene M. Mariette
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Julie L. M. Moreau
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Alexander N. Combes
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Craig A. Smith
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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Wang Z, Zhang J, Xu X, Witt C, Deng Y, Chen G, Meng G, Feng S, Xu L, Szekely T, Zhang G, Zhou Q. Phylogeny and sex chromosome evolution of palaeognathae. J Genet Genomics 2021; 49:109-119. [PMID: 34872841 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2021.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Many paleognaths (ratites and tinamous) have a pair of homomorphic ZW sex chromosomes in contrast to the highly differentiated sex chromosomes of most other birds. To understand the evolutionary causes for the different tempos of sex chromosome evolution, we produced female genomes of 12 paleognathous species and reconstructed the phylogeny and the evolutionary history of paleognathous sex chromosomes. We uncovered that Palaeognathae sex chromosomes had undergone stepwise recombination suppression and formed a pattern of "evolutionary strata". Nine of the 15 studied species' sex chromosomes have maintained homologous recombination in their long pseudoautosomal regions extending more than half of the entire chromosome length. We found that in older strata, the W chromosome suffered more serious functional gene loss. Their homologous Z-linked regions, compared with other genomic regions, have produced an excess of species-specific autosomal duplicated genes that evolved female-specific expression, in contrast to their broadly expressed progenitors. We speculate the "defeminization" of Z chromosome with underrepresentation of female-biased genes and slow divergence of sex chromosomes of paleognaths might be related to their distinctive mode of sexual selection targeting females that evolved in their common ancestors.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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, Zhejiang 310058, China; Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria; Institute of Animal Sex and Development, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315100, China; BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Jilin Zhang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xiaoman Xu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Christopher Witt
- Department of Biology and the Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Yuan Deng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Guangji Chen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Guanliang Meng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Shaohong Feng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Luohao Xu
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Tamas Szekely
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Milner Center for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA1 7AY, UK
| | - Guojie Zhang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
| | - Qi Zhou
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria; Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310052, China.
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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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72
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Charlesworth D. The timing of genetic degeneration of sex chromosomes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200093. [PMID: 34247501 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic degeneration is an extraordinary feature of sex chromosomes, with the loss of functions of Y-linked genes in species with XY systems, and W-linked genes in ZW systems, eventually affecting almost all genes. Although degeneration is familiar to most biologists, important aspects are not yet well understood, including how quickly a Y or W chromosome can become completely degenerated. I review the current understanding of the time-course of degeneration. Degeneration starts after crossing over between the sex chromosome pair stops, and theoretical models predict an initially fast degeneration rate and a later much slower one. It has become possible to estimate the two quantities that the models suggest are the most important in determining degeneration rates-the size of the sex-linked region, and the time when recombination became suppressed (which can be estimated using Y-X or W-Z sequence divergence). However, quantifying degeneration is still difficult. I review evidence on gene losses (based on coverage analysis) or loss of function (by classifying coding sequences into functional alleles and pseudogenes). I also review evidence about whether small genome regions degenerate, or only large ones, whether selective constraints on the genes in a sex-linked region also strongly affect degeneration rates, and about how long it takes before all (or almost all) genes are lost. 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)
- Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, EH9 3LF, UK
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73
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Curzon AY, Shirak A, Benet-Perlberg A, Naor A, Low-Tanne SI, Sharkawi H, Ron M, Seroussi E. Gene Variant of Barrier to Autointegration Factor 2 ( Banf2w) Is Concordant with Female Determination in Cichlids. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7073. [PMID: 34209244 PMCID: PMC8268354 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Oreochromis fishes exhibit variability of sex-determination (SD) genes whose characterization contributes to understanding of the sex differentiation network, and to effective tilapia farming, which requires all-male culture. However, O. niloticus (On) amh is the only master-key regulator (MKR) of SD that has been mapped (XY/XX SD-system on LG23). In O. aureus (Oa), LG3 controls a WZ/ZZ SD-system that has recently been delimited to 9.2 Mbp, with an embedded interval rich with female-specific variation, harboring two paics genes and banf2. Developing genetic markers within this interval and using a hybrid Oa stock that demonstrates no recombination repression in LG3, we mapped the critical SD region to 235 Kbp on the orthologous On physical map (p < 1.5 × 10-26). DNA-seq assembly and peak-proportion analysis of variation based on Sanger chromatograms allowed the characterization of copy-number variation (CNV) of banf2. Oa males had three exons capable of encoding 90-amino-acid polypeptides, yet in Oa females, we found an extra copy with an 89-amino-acid polypeptide and three non-conservative amino acid substitutions, designated as banf2w. CNV analysis suggested the existence of two to five copies of banf2 in diploidic Cichlidae. Disrupting the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p < 4.2 × 10-3), banf2w was concordant with female determination in Oa and in three cichlids with LG3 WZ/ZZ SD-systems (O. tanganicae, O. hornorum and Pelmatolapia mariae). Furthermore, exclusive RNA-seq expression in Oa females strengthened the candidacy of banf2w as the long-sought LG3 SD MKR. As banf genes mediate nuclear assembly, chromatin organization, gene expression and gonad development, banf2w may play a fundamental role inducing female nucleus formation that is essential for WZ/ZZ SD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arie Yehuda Curzon
- Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeTsiyon 7528809, Israel; (A.Y.C.); (A.S.); (M.R.)
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Andrey Shirak
- Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeTsiyon 7528809, Israel; (A.Y.C.); (A.S.); (M.R.)
| | - Ayana Benet-Perlberg
- Dor Research Station, Division of Fishery and Aquaculture, Hof HaCarmel 30820, Israel; (A.B.-P.); (A.N.); (S.I.L.-T.); (H.S.)
| | - Alon Naor
- Dor Research Station, Division of Fishery and Aquaculture, Hof HaCarmel 30820, Israel; (A.B.-P.); (A.N.); (S.I.L.-T.); (H.S.)
| | - Shai Israel Low-Tanne
- Dor Research Station, Division of Fishery and Aquaculture, Hof HaCarmel 30820, Israel; (A.B.-P.); (A.N.); (S.I.L.-T.); (H.S.)
| | - Haled Sharkawi
- Dor Research Station, Division of Fishery and Aquaculture, Hof HaCarmel 30820, Israel; (A.B.-P.); (A.N.); (S.I.L.-T.); (H.S.)
| | - Micha Ron
- Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeTsiyon 7528809, Israel; (A.Y.C.); (A.S.); (M.R.)
| | - Eyal Seroussi
- Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeTsiyon 7528809, Israel; (A.Y.C.); (A.S.); (M.R.)
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74
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Elkrewi M, Moldovan MA, Picard MAL, Vicoso B. Schistosome W-linked genes inform temporal dynamics of sex chromosome evolution and suggest candidate for sex determination. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5345-5358. [PMID: 34146097 PMCID: PMC8662593 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomes, the human parasites responsible for snail fever, are female-heterogametic. Different parts of their ZW sex chromosomes have stopped recombining in distinct lineages, creating "evolutionary strata" of various ages. While the Z-chromosome is well characterized at the genomic and molecular level, the W-chromosome has remained largely unstudied from an evolutionary perspective, as only a few W-linked genes have been detected outside of the model species Schistosoma mansoni. Here, we characterize the gene content and evolution of the W-chromosomes of S. mansoni and of the divergent species S. japonicum. We use a combined RNA/DNA k-mer based pipeline to assemble around one hundred candidate W-specific transcripts in each of the species. About half of them map to known protein coding genes, the majority homologous to S. mansoni Z-linked genes. We perform an extended analysis of the evolutionary strata present in the two species (including characterizing a previously undetected young stratum in S. japonicum) to infer patterns of sequence and expression evolution of W-linked genes at different time points after recombination was lost. W-linked genes show evidence of degeneration, including high rates of protein evolution and reduced expression. Most are found in young lineage-specific strata, with only a few high expression ancestral W-genes remaining, consistent with the progressive erosion of non-recombining regions. Among these, the splicing factor U2AF2 stands out as a promising candidate for primary sex determination, opening new avenues for understanding the molecular basis of the reproductive biology of this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwan Elkrewi
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
| | - Mikhail A Moldovan
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria.,Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marion A L Picard
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria.,Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Beatriz Vicoso
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
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75
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Son JH, Meisel RP. Gene-Level, but Not Chromosome-Wide, Divergence between a Very Young House Fly Proto-Y Chromosome and Its Homologous Proto-X Chromosome. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:606-618. [PMID: 32986844 PMCID: PMC7826193 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
X and Y chromosomes are usually derived from a pair of homologous autosomes, which then diverge from each other over time. Although Y-specific features have been characterized in sex chromosomes of various ages, the earliest stages of Y chromosome evolution remain elusive. In particular, we do not know whether early stages of Y chromosome evolution consist of changes to individual genes or happen via chromosome-scale divergence from the X. To address this question, we quantified divergence between young proto-X and proto-Y chromosomes in the house fly, Musca domestica. We compared proto-sex chromosome sequence and gene expression between genotypic (XY) and sex-reversed (XX) males. We find evidence for sequence divergence between genes on the proto-X and proto-Y, including five genes with mitochondrial functions. There is also an excess of genes with divergent expression between the proto-X and proto-Y, but the number of genes is small. This suggests that individual proto-Y genes, but not the entire proto-Y chromosome, have diverged from the proto-X. We identified one gene, encoding an axonemal dynein assembly factor (which functions in sperm motility), that has higher expression in XY males than XX males because of a disproportionate contribution of the proto-Y allele to gene expression. The upregulation of the proto-Y allele may be favored in males because of this gene's function in spermatogenesis. The evolutionary divergence between proto-X and proto-Y copies of this gene, as well as the mitochondrial genes, is consistent with selection in males affecting the evolution of individual genes during early Y chromosome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Hak Son
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX.,Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT
| | - Richard P Meisel
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX
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76
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New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12060878. [PMID: 34200348 PMCID: PMC8230142 DOI: 10.3390/genes12060878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexing of birds is indispensable for scientific, breeding and conservation programs but is difficult in many species and is particularly problematic in the case of nestlings showing no sexual dimorphism. Most useful and efficient methods of sex determination are based on unique features of the Z and W sex chromosomes detected via PCR to distinguish males (ZZ) and females (ZW). During the last twenty-five years researchers searched for the universal marker capable of sexing a maximally wide spectrum of species in a single PCR assay. We screened the phylogenetically representative set of 135 Psittaciformes species including 59 species sexed for the first time. Two known (P2P8, CHD1iA) PCR markers and four additional W/Z polymorphisms (CHD1iE, CHD1i16, CHD1i9 and NIPBLi16) located within the Chromo Helicase DNA binding CHD1 or the Nipped-B homolog NIPBL genes were applied. We present the electrophoretic patterns obtained for the PCR products of the analyzed markers including most typical and atypical patterns allowing sex determination, as well as those obtained when the given marker failed in sexing. Technical aspects of molecular sex determination are discussed: the optimization of amplification conditions, direct PCR and potential misinterpretations. A truly universal marker has not been found, and therefore, we propose a sexing strategy based on multiple CHD1i16, NIPBLi16, CHD1i9 and CHD1iE markers. This new strategy confirms the sex of a given bird with at least two markers detecting independent Z/W polymorphisms, reduces the number of necessary PCR reactions and minimizes the risk of sex misidentification.
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77
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Choe HN, Jarvis ED. The role of sex chromosomes and sex hormones in vocal learning systems. Horm Behav 2021; 132:104978. [PMID: 33895570 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Vocal learning is the ability to imitate and modify sounds through auditory experience, a rare trait found in only a few lineages of mammals and birds. It is a critical component of human spoken language, allowing us to verbally transmit speech repertoires and knowledge across generations. In many vocal learning species, the vocal learning trait is sexually dimorphic, where it is either limited to males or present in both sexes to different degrees. In humans, recent findings have revealed subtle sexual dimorphism in vocal learning/spoken language brain regions and some associated disorders. For songbirds, where the neural mechanisms of vocal learning have been well studied, vocal learning appears to have been present in both sexes at the origin of the lineage and was then independently lost in females of some subsequent lineages. This loss is associated with an interplay between sex chromosomes and sex steroid hormones. Even in species with little dimorphism, like humans, sex chromosomes and hormones still have some influence on learned vocalizations. Here we present a brief synthesis of these studies, in the context of sex determination broadly, and identify areas of needed investigation to further understand how sex chromosomes and sex steroid hormones help establish sexually dimorphic neural structures for vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha Na Choe
- Duke University Medical Center, The Rockefeller University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, United States of America.
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- Duke University Medical Center, The Rockefeller University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, United States of America.
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78
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Lisachov A, Andreyushkova D, Davletshina G, Prokopov D, Romanenko S, Galkina S, Saifitdinova A, Simonov E, Borodin P, Trifonov V. Amplified Fragments of an Autosome-Borne Gene Constitute a Significant Component of the W Sex Chromosome of Eremias velox (Reptilia, Lacertidae). Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:779. [PMID: 34065205 PMCID: PMC8160951 DOI: 10.3390/genes12050779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Heteromorphic W and Y sex chromosomes often experience gene loss and heterochromatinization, which is frequently viewed as their "degeneration". However, the evolutionary trajectories of the heterochromosomes are in fact more complex since they may not only lose but also acquire new sequences. Previously, we found that the heterochromatic W chromosome of a lizard Eremias velox (Lacertidae) is decondensed and thus transcriptionally active during the lampbrush stage. To determine possible sources of this transcription, we sequenced DNA from a microdissected W chromosome sample and a total female DNA sample and analyzed the results of reference-based and de novo assembly. We found a new repetitive sequence, consisting of fragments of an autosomal protein-coding gene ATF7IP2, several SINE elements, and sequences of unknown origin. This repetitive element is distributed across the whole length of the W chromosome, except the centromeric region. Since it retained only 3 out of 10 original ATF7IP2 exons, it remains unclear whether it is able to produce a protein product. Subsequent studies are required to test the presence of this element in other species of Lacertidae and possible functionality. Our results provide further evidence for the view of W and Y chromosomes as not just "degraded" copies of Z and X chromosomes but independent genomic segments in which novel genetic elements may arise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Lisachov
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), University of Tyumen, Lenina str. 23, 625003 Tyumen, Russia;
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Acad. Lavrentiev Ave. 10, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (G.D.); (P.B.)
| | - Daria Andreyushkova
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, Acad. Lavrentiev Ave. 8/2, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (D.A.); (D.P.); (S.R.); (V.T.)
| | - Guzel Davletshina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Acad. Lavrentiev Ave. 10, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (G.D.); (P.B.)
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, Acad. Lavrentiev Ave. 8/2, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (D.A.); (D.P.); (S.R.); (V.T.)
| | - Dmitry Prokopov
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, Acad. Lavrentiev Ave. 8/2, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (D.A.); (D.P.); (S.R.); (V.T.)
| | - Svetlana Romanenko
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, Acad. Lavrentiev Ave. 8/2, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (D.A.); (D.P.); (S.R.); (V.T.)
| | - Svetlana Galkina
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb. 7–9, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Alsu Saifitdinova
- Department of Human and Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Moyka Emb. 48, 191186 Saint Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Evgeniy Simonov
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), University of Tyumen, Lenina str. 23, 625003 Tyumen, Russia;
| | - Pavel Borodin
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Acad. Lavrentiev Ave. 10, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (G.D.); (P.B.)
- Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova str. 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Vladimir Trifonov
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, Acad. Lavrentiev Ave. 8/2, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (D.A.); (D.P.); (S.R.); (V.T.)
- Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova str. 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
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79
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Zhou J, Wang S, Yu L, Li N, Li S, Zhang Y, Qin R, Gao W, Deng C. Cloning and physical localization of male-biased repetitive DNA sequences in Spinacia oleracea (Amaranthaceae). COMPARATIVE CYTOGENETICS 2021; 15:101-118. [PMID: 33959234 PMCID: PMC8087614 DOI: 10.3897/compcytogen.v15i2.63061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea Linnaeus, 1753) is an ideal material for studying molecular mechanisms of early-stage sex chromosome evolution in dioecious plants. Degenerate oligonucleotide-primed polymerase chain reaction (DOP-PCR) technique facilitates the retrotransposon-relevant studies by enriching specific repetitive DNA sequences from a micro-dissected single chromosome. We conducted genomic subtractive hybridization to screen sex-biased DNA sequences by using the DOP-PCR amplification products of micro-dissected spinach Y chromosome. The screening yielded 55 male-biased DNA sequences with 30 576 bp in length, of which, 32 DNA sequences (12 049 bp) contained repeat DNA sequences, including LTR/Copia, LTR/Gypsy, simple repeats, and DNA/CMC-EnSpm. Among these repetitive DNA sequences, four DNA sequences that contained a fragment of Ty3-gypsy retrotransposons (SP73, SP75, SP76, and SP77) were selected as fluorescence probes to hybridization on male and female spinach karyotypes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) signals of SP73 and SP75 were captured mostly on the centromeres and their surrounding area for each homolog. Hybridization signals primarily appeared near the putative centromeres for each homologous chromosome pair by using SP76 and SP77 probes for FISH, and sporadic signals existed on the long arms. Results can be served as a basis to study the function of repetitive DNA sequences in sex chromosome evolution in spinach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Shaojing Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Li’ang Yu
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USAUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbanaUnited States of America
| | - Ning Li
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Shufen Li
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Yulan Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Ruiyun Qin
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Wujun Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Chuanliang Deng
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, ChinaHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
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80
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Brandeis M. Were eukaryotes made by sex?: Sex might have been vital for merging endosymbiont and host genomes giving rise to eukaryotes. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2000256. [PMID: 33860546 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
I hypothesize that the appearance of sex facilitated the merging of the endosymbiont and host genomes during early eukaryote evolution. Eukaryotes were formed by symbiosis between a bacterium that entered an archaeon, eventually giving rise to mitochondria. This entry was followed by the gradual transfer of most bacterial endosymbiont genes into the archaeal host genome. I argue that the merging of the mitochondrial genes into the host genome was vital for the evolution of genuine eukaryotes. At the time this process commenced it was unprecedented and required a novel mechanism. I suggest that this mechanism was meiotic sex, and that its appearance might have been THE crucial step that enabled the evolution of proper eukaryotes from early endosymbiont containing proto-eukaryotes. Sex might continue to be essential today for keeping genome insertions in check. Also see the video abstract here: https://youtu.be/aVMvWMpomac.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Brandeis
- The Department of Genetics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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81
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Abstract
Chromosome size and morphology vary within and among species, but little is known about the proximate or ultimate causes of these differences. Cichlid fish species in the tribe Oreochromini share an unusual giant chromosome that is ∼3 times longer than the other chromosomes. This giant chromosome functions as a sex chromosome in some of these species. We test two hypotheses of how this giant sex chromosome may have evolved. The first hypothesis proposes that it evolved by accumulating repetitive elements as recombination was reduced around a dominant sex determination locus, as suggested by canonical models of sex chromosome evolution. An alternative hypothesis is that the giant sex chromosome originated via the fusion of an autosome with a highly repetitive B chromosome, one of which carried a sex determination locus. We test these hypotheses using comparative analysis of chromosome-scale cichlid and teleost genomes. We find that the giant sex chromosome consists of three distinct regions based on patterns of recombination, gene and transposable element content, and synteny to the ancestral autosome. The WZ sex determination locus encompasses the last ∼105 Mb of the 134-Mb giant chromosome. The last 47 Mb of the giant chromosome shares no obvious homology to any ancestral chromosome. Comparisons across 69 teleost genomes reveal that the giant sex chromosome contains unparalleled amounts of endogenous retroviral elements, immunoglobulin genes, and long noncoding RNAs. The results favor the B chromosome fusion hypothesis for the origin of the giant chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Conte
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Frances E Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Reade B Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Luohao Xu
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wenjing Tao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Thomas D Kocher
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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82
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Mazzoleni S, Němec P, Albrecht T, Lymberakis P, Kratochvíl L, Rovatsos M. Long-term stability of sex chromosome gene content allows accurate qPCR-based molecular sexing across birds. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 21:2013-2021. [PMID: 33720488 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Embryos, juveniles, and even adults of many bird species lack pronounced external sexually dimorphic characteristics. Accurate identification of sex is crucial for research (e.g., developmental, population, and evolutionary studies), management of wildlife species, and captive breeding programmes for both conservation and poultry. An accurate molecular sexing method applicable across the entire bird radiation is theoretically possible thanks to the long-term stability of their ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes, but current methods are not applicable in a wide range of bird lineages. Here, we developed a novel molecular sexing method based on the comparison of gene copy number variation by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in conserved Z-specific genes (CHRNA6, DDX4, LPAR1, TMEM161B, VPS13A), i.e. genes linked to Z but absent from W chromosomes. We tested the method across three paleognath and 70 neognath species covering the avian phylogeny. In addition, we designed primers for four Z-specific genes (DOCK8, FUT10, PIGG and PSD3) for qPCR-based molecular sexing in three paleognath species. We have demonstrated that the genes DOCK8, FUT10, PIGG and PSD3 can identify sex in paleognath birds and the genes CHRNA6, DDX4, TMEM161B, and VPS13A can reveal sex in neognath birds. The gene LPAR1 can be used to accurately identify sex in both paleognath and neognath species. Along with outlining a novel method of practical importance for molecular sexing in birds, our study also documents in detail the conservation of sex chromosomes across the avian phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Mazzoleni
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Němec
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petros Lymberakis
- Natural History Museum of Crete, University of Crete, Irakleio, Greece
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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83
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Zhou Y, Shearwin-Whyatt L, Li J, Song Z, Hayakawa T, Stevens D, Fenelon JC, Peel E, Cheng Y, Pajpach F, Bradley N, Suzuki H, Nikaido M, Damas J, Daish T, Perry T, Zhu Z, Geng Y, Rhie A, Sims Y, Wood J, Haase B, Mountcastle J, Fedrigo O, Li Q, Yang H, Wang J, Johnston SD, Phillippy AM, Howe K, Jarvis ED, Ryder OA, Kaessmann H, Donnelly P, Korlach J, Lewin HA, Graves J, Belov K, Renfree MB, Grutzner F, Zhou Q, Zhang G. Platypus and echidna genomes reveal mammalian biology and evolution. Nature 2021; 592:756-762. [PMID: 33408411 PMCID: PMC8081666 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-03039-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Egg-laying mammals (monotremes) are the only extant mammalian outgroup to therians (marsupial and eutherian animals) and provide key insights into mammalian evolution1,2. Here we generate and analyse reference genomes of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) and echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), which represent the only two extant monotreme lineages. The nearly complete platypus genome assembly has anchored almost the entire genome onto chromosomes, markedly improving the genome continuity and gene annotation. Together with our echidna sequence, the genomes of the two species allow us to detect the ancestral and lineage-specific genomic changes that shape both monotreme and mammalian evolution. We provide evidence that the monotreme sex chromosome complex originated from an ancestral chromosome ring configuration. The formation of such a unique chromosome complex may have been facilitated by the unusually extensive interactions between the multi-X and multi-Y chromosomes that are shared by the autosomal homologues in humans. Further comparative genomic analyses unravel marked differences between monotremes and therians in haptoglobin genes, lactation genes and chemosensory receptor genes for smell and taste that underlie the ecological adaptation of monotremes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhou
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Villum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Linda Shearwin-Whyatt
- School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jing Li
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhenzhen Song
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Takashi Hayakawa
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, Japan
| | - David Stevens
- School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jane C Fenelon
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emma Peel
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yuanyuan Cheng
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Filip Pajpach
- School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Natasha Bradley
- School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Masato Nikaido
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joana Damas
- The Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Tasman Daish
- School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Tahlia Perry
- School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Zexian Zhu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuncong Geng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Arang Rhie
- Genome Informatics Section, Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ying Sims
- Tree of Life Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jonathan Wood
- Tree of Life Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Bettina Haase
- The Vertebrate Genome Lab, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Olivier Fedrigo
- The Vertebrate Genome Lab, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qiye Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huanming Yang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- James D. Watson Institute of Genome Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Guangdong Provincial Academician Workstation of BGI Synthetic Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jian Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- James D. Watson Institute of Genome Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Stephen D Johnston
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Adam M Phillippy
- Genome Informatics Section, Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kerstin Howe
- Tree of Life Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | | | - Henrik Kaessmann
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Donnelly
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Harris A Lewin
- The Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Reproduction and Population Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer Graves
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marilyn B Renfree
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Frank Grutzner
- School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Qi Zhou
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Guojie Zhang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
- Villum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
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84
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Ehl J, Altmanová M, Kratochvíl L. With or Without W? Molecular and Cytogenetic Markers are Not Sufficient for Identification of Environmentally-Induced Sex Reversal in the Bearded Dragon. Sex Dev 2021; 15:272-281. [PMID: 33756476 DOI: 10.1159/000514195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Transitions from environmental sex determination (ESD) to genotypic sex determination (GSD) require an intermediate step of sex reversal, i.e., the production of individuals with a mismatch between the ancestral genotypic and the phenotypic sex. Among amniotes, the sole well-documented transition in this direction was shown in the laboratory in the central bearded dragon, Pogona vitticeps, where very high incubation temperatures led to the production of females with the male-typical (ZZ) genotype. These sex-reversed females then produced offspring whose sex depended on the incubation temperature. Sex-reversed animals identified by molecular and cytogenetic markers were also reported in the field, and their increasing incidence was speculated as a climate warming-driven transition in sex determination. We show that the molecular and cytogenetic markers normally sex-linked in P. vitticeps are also sex-linked in P. henrylawsoni and P. minor, which points to quite ancient sex chromosomes in this lineage. Nevertheless, we demonstrate, based on a crossing experiment with a male bearded dragon who possesses a mismatch between phenotypic sex and genotype, that the used cytogenetic and molecular markers might not be reliable for the identification of sex reversal. Sex reversal should not be considered as the only mechanism causing a mismatch between genetic sex-linked markers and phenotypic sex, which can emerge also by other processes, here most likely by a rare recombination between regions of sex chromosomes which are normally sex-linked. We warn that sex-linked, even apparently for a long evolutionary time, and sex-specific molecular and cytogenetic markers are not a reliable tool for the identification of sex-reversed individuals in a population and that sex reversal has to be verified by other approaches, particularly by observation of the sex ratio of the progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Ehl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Marie Altmanová
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov, Czechia
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia,
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85
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Charlesworth D. When and how do sex-linked regions become sex chromosomes? Evolution 2021; 75:569-581. [PMID: 33592115 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The attention given to heteromorphism and genetic degeneration of "classical sex chromosomes" (Y chromosomes in XY systems, and the W in ZW systems that were studied first and are best described) has perhaps created the impression that the absence of recombination between sex chromosomes is inevitable. I here argue that continued recombination is often to be expected, that absence of recombination is surprising and demands further study, and that the involvement of selection in reduced recombination is not yet well understood. Despite a long history of investigations of sex chromosome pairs, there is a need for more quantitative approaches to studying sex-linked regions. I describe a scheme to help understand the relationships between different properties of sex-linked regions. Specifically, I focus on their sizes (differentiating between small regions and extensive fully sex-linked ones), the times when they evolved, and their differentiation, and review studies using DNA sequencing in nonmodel organisms that are providing information about the processes causing these properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
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86
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Wang ZJ, Chen GJ, Zhang GJ, Zhou Q. Dynamic evolution of transposable elements, demographic history, and gene content of paleognathous birds. Zool Res 2021; 42:51-61. [PMID: 33124220 PMCID: PMC7840455 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Palaeognathae includes ratite and tinamou species that are important for understanding early avian evolution. Here, we analyzed the whole-genome sequences of 15 paleognathous species to infer their demographic histories, which are presently unknown. We found that most species showed a reduction of population size since the beginning of the last glacial period, except for those species distributed in Australasia and in the far south of South America. Different degrees of contraction and expansion of transposable elements (TE) have shaped the paleognathous genome architecture, with a higher transposon removal rate in tinamous than in ratites. One repeat family, AviRTE, likely underwent horizontal transfer from tropical parasites to the ancestor of little and undulated tinamous about 30 million years ago. Our analysis of gene families identified rapid turnover of immune and reproduction-related genes but found no evidence of gene family changes underlying the convergent evolution of flightlessness among ratites. We also found that mitochondrial genes have experienced a faster evolutionary rate in tinamous than in ratites, with the former also showing more degenerated W chromosomes. This result can be explained by the Hill-Robertson interference affecting genetically linked W chromosomes and mitochondria. Overall, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of the Palaeognathae populations, genes, and TEs. Our findings of co-evolution between mitochondria and W chromosomes highlight the key difference in genome evolution between species with ZW sex chromosomes and those with XY sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zong-Ji Wang
- Institute of Animal Sex and Development, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315100, China.,MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.,Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria.,BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
| | - Guang-Ji Chen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
| | - Guo-Jie Zhang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China.,Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China. E-mail:
| | - Qi Zhou
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.,Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria.,Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China. E-mail:
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87
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Liu J, Wang Z, Li J, Xu L, Liu J, Feng S, Guo C, Chen S, Ren Z, Rao J, Wei K, Chen Y, Jarvis ED, Zhang G, Zhou Q. A new emu genome illuminates the evolution of genome configuration and nuclear architecture of avian chromosomes. Genome Res 2021; 31:497-511. [PMID: 33408157 PMCID: PMC7919449 DOI: 10.1101/gr.271569.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Emu and other ratites are more informative than any other birds in reconstructing the evolution of the ancestral avian or vertebrate karyotype because of their much slower rate of genome evolution. Here, we generated a new chromosome-level genome assembly of a female emu, and estimated the tempo of chromosome evolution across major avian phylogenetic branches, by comparing it to chromosome-level genome assemblies of 11 other bird and one turtle species. We found ratites exhibited the lowest numbers of intra- and inter-chromosomal changes among birds since their divergence with turtles. The small-sized and gene-rich emu microchromosomes have frequent inter-chromosomal contacts that are associated with housekeeping genes, which appears to be driven by clustering their centromeres in the nuclear interior, away from the macrochromosomes in the nuclear periphery. Unlike nonratite birds, only less than one-third of the emu W Chromosome regions have lost homologous recombination and diverged between the sexes. The emu W is demarcated into a highly heterochromatic region (WS0) and another recently evolved region (WS1) with only moderate sequence divergence with the Z Chromosome. WS1 has expanded its inactive chromatin compartment, increased chromatin contacts within the region, and decreased contacts with the nearby regions, possibly influenced by the spreading of heterochromatin from WS0. These patterns suggest that alteration of chromatin conformation comprises an important early step of sex chromosome evolution. Overall, our results provide novel insights into the evolution of avian genome structure and sex chromosomes in three-dimensional space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Zongji Wang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
- Institute of Animal Sex and Development, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
| | - Jing Li
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Luohao Xu
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- Wuhan Gooalgene Technology Company, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shaohong Feng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Chunxue Guo
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Shengchan Chen
- Longteng Ecological Culture Company, Limited, Zhashui 711400, China
| | - Zhanjun Ren
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jinpeng Rao
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Kai Wei
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Yuezhou Chen
- Jianzhou Poultry Industry Company, Limited, Yong'an 366000, China
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, USA
| | - Guojie Zhang
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310052, China
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88
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Kostmann A, Kratochvíl L, Rovatsos M. Poorly differentiated XX/XY sex chromosomes are widely shared across skink radiation. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202139. [PMID: 33468012 PMCID: PMC7893288 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Differentiated sex chromosomes are believed to be evolutionarily stable, while poorly differentiated sex chromosomes are considered to be prone to turnovers. With around 1700 currently known species forming ca 15% of reptile species diversity, skinks (family Scincidae) are a very diverse group of squamates known for their large ecological and morphological variability. Skinks generally have poorly differentiated and cytogenetically indistinguishable sex chromosomes, and their sex determination was suggested to be highly variable. Here, we determined X-linked genes in the common sandfish (Scincus scincus) and demonstrate that skinks have shared the same homologous XX/XY sex chromosomes across their wide phylogenetic spectrum for at least 85 million years, approaching the age of the highly differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes of birds and advanced snakes. Skinks thus demonstrate that even poorly differentiated sex chromosomes can be evolutionarily stable. The conservation of sex chromosomes across skinks allows us to introduce the first molecular sexing method widely applicable in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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89
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Leite Montalvão AP, Kersten B, Fladung M, Müller NA. The Diversity and Dynamics of Sex Determination in Dioecious Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:580488. [PMID: 33519840 PMCID: PMC7843427 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.580488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The diversity of inflorescences among flowering plants is captivating. Such charm is not only due to the variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and flowers displayed, but also to the range of reproductive systems. For instance, hermaphrodites occur abundantly throughout the plant kingdom with both stamens and carpels within the same flower. Nevertheless, 10% of flowering plants have separate unisexual flowers, either in different locations of the same individual (monoecy) or on different individuals (dioecy). Despite their rarity, dioecious plants provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the mechanisms involved in sex expression and the evolution of sex-determining regions (SDRs) and sex chromosomes. The SDRs and the evolution of dioecy have been studied in many species ranging from Ginkgo to important fruit crops. Some of these studies, for example in asparagus or kiwifruit, identified two sex-determining genes within the non-recombining SDR and may thus be consistent with the classical model for the evolution of dioecy from hermaphroditism via gynodioecy, that predicts two successive mutations, the first one affecting male and the second one female function, becoming linked in a region of suppressed recombination. On the other hand, aided by genome sequencing and gene editing, single factor sex determination has emerged in other species, such as persimmon or poplar. Despite the diversity of sex-determining mechanisms, a tentative comparative analysis of the known sex-determining genes and candidates in different species suggests that similar genes and pathways may be employed repeatedly for the evolution of dioecy. The cytokinin signaling pathway appears important for sex determination in several species regardless of the underlying genetic system. Additionally, tapetum-related genes often seem to act as male-promoting factors when sex is determined via two genes. We present a unified model that synthesizes the genetic networks of sex determination in monoecious and dioecious plants and will support the generation of hypothesis regarding candidate sex determinants in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Birgit Kersten
- Thünen Institute of Forest Genetics, Großhansdorf, Germany
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90
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Li J, Zhang J, Liu J, Zhou Y, Cai C, Xu L, Dai X, Feng S, Guo C, Rao J, Wei K, Jarvis ED, Jiang Y, Zhou Z, Zhang G, Zhou Q. A new duck genome reveals conserved and convergently evolved chromosome architectures of birds and mammals. Gigascience 2021; 10:giaa142. [PMID: 33406261 PMCID: PMC7787181 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giaa142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ducks have a typical avian karyotype that consists of macro- and microchromosomes, but a pair of much less differentiated ZW sex chromosomes compared to chickens. To elucidate the evolution of chromosome architectures between ducks and chickens, and between birds and mammals, we produced a nearly complete chromosomal assembly of a female Pekin duck by combining long-read sequencing and multiplatform scaffolding techniques. RESULTS A major improvement of genome assembly and annotation quality resulted from the successful resolution of lineage-specific propagated repeats that fragmented the previous Illumina-based assembly. We found that the duck topologically associated domains (TAD) are demarcated by putative binding sites of the insulator protein CTCF, housekeeping genes, or transitions of active/inactive chromatin compartments, indicating conserved mechanisms of spatial chromosome folding with mammals. There are extensive overlaps of TAD boundaries between duck and chicken, and also between the TAD boundaries and chromosome inversion breakpoints. This suggests strong natural selection pressure on maintaining regulatory domain integrity, or vulnerability of TAD boundaries to DNA double-strand breaks. The duck W chromosome retains 2.5-fold more genes relative to chicken. Similar to the independently evolved human Y chromosome, the duck W evolved massive dispersed palindromic structures, and a pattern of sequence divergence with the Z chromosome that reflects stepwise suppression of homologous recombination. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide novel insights into the conserved and convergently evolved chromosome features of birds and mammals, and also importantly add to the genomic resources for poultry studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jilin Zhang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 5 Nobels väg, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Jing Liu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, 1 Universitätsring, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Yang Zhou
- BGI-Shenzhen, 146 Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Cheng Cai
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Luohao Xu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, 1 Universitätsring, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Xuelei Dai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Shaohong Feng
- BGI-Shenzhen, 146 Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Chunxue Guo
- BGI-Shenzhen, 146 Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Jinpeng Rao
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Kai Wei
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, NY 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 4000 Jones Bridge Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Yu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Zhengkui Zhou
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhong Guan Cun Da Jie, Beijing, China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Jinsha Road, Shenzhen 518120, China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 East Jiaochang Road, Kunming 650223, China
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 10 Nørregade, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 East Jiaochang Road, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, 1 Universitätsring, Vienna 1090, Austria
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou 310052, China
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91
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Peona V, Blom MPK, Xu L, Burri R, Sullivan S, Bunikis I, Liachko I, Haryoko T, Jønsson KA, Zhou Q, Irestedt M, Suh A. Identifying the causes and consequences of assembly gaps using a multiplatform genome assembly of a bird-of-paradise. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 21:263-286. [PMID: 32937018 PMCID: PMC7757076 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Genome assemblies are currently being produced at an impressive rate by consortia and individual laboratories. The low costs and increasing efficiency of sequencing technologies now enable assembling genomes at unprecedented quality and contiguity. However, the difficulty in assembling repeat-rich and GC-rich regions (genomic "dark matter") limits insights into the evolution of genome structure and regulatory networks. Here, we compare the efficiency of currently available sequencing technologies (short/linked/long reads and proximity ligation maps) and combinations thereof in assembling genomic dark matter. By adopting different de novo assembly strategies, we compare individual draft assemblies to a curated multiplatform reference assembly and identify the genomic features that cause gaps within each assembly. We show that a multiplatform assembly implementing long-read, linked-read and proximity sequencing technologies performs best at recovering transposable elements, multicopy MHC genes, GC-rich microchromosomes and the repeat-rich W chromosome. Telomere-to-telomere assemblies are not a reality yet for most organisms, but by leveraging technology choice it is now possible to minimize genome assembly gaps for downstream analysis. We provide a roadmap to tailor sequencing projects for optimized completeness of both the coding and noncoding parts of nonmodel genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Peona
- Department of Ecology and Genetics—Evolutionary BiologyScience for Life LaboratoriesUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Department of Organismal Biology—Systematic BiologyScience for Life LaboratoriesUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Mozes P. K. Blom
- Department of Bioinformatics and GeneticsSwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
- Museum für NaturkundeLeibniz Institut für Evolutions‐ und BiodiversitätsforschungBerlinGermany
| | - Luohao Xu
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Reto Burri
- Department of Population EcologyInstitute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich‐Schiller‐University JenaJenaGermany
| | | | - Ignas Bunikis
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and PathologyScience for Life LaboratoryUppsala Genome CenterUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | | | - Tri Haryoko
- Research Centre for BiologyMuseum Zoologicum BogorienseIndonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)CibinongIndonesia
| | - Knud A. Jønsson
- Natural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Qi Zhou
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & ProtectionLife Sciences InstituteZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Center for Reproductive MedicineThe 2nd Affiliated HospitalSchool of MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Martin Irestedt
- Department of Bioinformatics and GeneticsSwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
| | - Alexander Suh
- Department of Ecology and Genetics—Evolutionary BiologyScience for Life LaboratoriesUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Department of Organismal Biology—Systematic BiologyScience for Life LaboratoriesUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- School of Biological Sciences—Organisms and the EnvironmentUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
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92
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Neves CJ, Matzrafi M, Thiele M, Lorant A, Mesgaran MB, Stetter MG. Male Linked Genomic Region Determines Sex in Dioecious Amaranthus palmeri. J Hered 2020; 111:606-612. [PMID: 33340320 PMCID: PMC7846199 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esaa047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Dioecy, the separation of reproductive organs on different individuals, has evolved repeatedly in different plant families. Several evolutionary paths to dioecy have been suggested, but the mechanisms behind sex determination is not well understood. The diploid dioecious Amaranthus palmeri represents a well-suited model system to study sex determination in plants. Despite the agricultural importance of the species, the genetic control and evolutionary state of dioecy in A. palmeri is currently unknown. Early cytogenetic experiments did not identify heteromorphic chromosomes. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing of male and female pools from 2 independent populations to elucidate the genetic control of dioecy in A. palmeri. Read alignment to a close monoecious relative and allele frequency comparisons between male and female pools did not reveal significant sex-linked genes. Consequently, we employed an alignment-free k-mer comparison which enabled us to identify a large number of male-specific k-mers. We assembled male-specific contigs comprising a total of almost 2 Mb sequence, proposing a XY sex-determination system in the species. We were able to identify the potential Y chromosome in the A. palmeri draft genome sequence as 90% of our male-specific sequence aligned to a single scaffold. Based on our findings, we suggest an intermediate evolutionary state of dioecy with a young Y chromosome in A. palmeri. Our findings give insight into the evolution of sex chromosomes in plants and may help to develop sustainable strategies for weed management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia José Neves
- Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maor Matzrafi
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA.,Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Ramat Yishai, Israel
| | - Meik Thiele
- Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anne Lorant
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Mohsen B Mesgaran
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Markus G Stetter
- Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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93
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Tao W, Conte MA, Wang D, Kocher TD. Network architecture and sex chromosome turnovers: Do epistatic interactions shape patterns of sex chromosome replacement? Bioessays 2020; 43:e2000161. [PMID: 33283342 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have revealed an astonishing diversity of sex chromosomes in many vertebrate lineages, prompting questions about the mechanisms of sex chromosome turnover. While there is considerable population genetic theory about the evolutionary forces promoting sex chromosome replacement, this theory has not yet been integrated with our understanding of the molecular and developmental genetics of sex determination. Here, we review recent data to examine four questions about how the structure of gene networks influences the evolution of sex determination. We argue that patterns of epistasis, arising from the structure of genetic networks, may play an important role in regulating the rates and patterns of sex chromosome replacement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Tao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Matthew A Conte
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Thomas D Kocher
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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94
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Shearn R, Wright AE, Mousset S, Régis C, Penel S, Lemaitre JF, Douay G, Crouau-Roy B, Lecompte E, Marais GA. Evolutionary stasis of the pseudoautosomal boundary in strepsirrhine primates. eLife 2020; 9:63650. [PMID: 33205751 PMCID: PMC7717902 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are typically comprised of a non-recombining region and a recombining pseudoautosomal region. Accurately quantifying the relative size of these regions is critical for sex-chromosome biology both from a functional and evolutionary perspective. The evolution of the pseudoautosomal boundary (PAB) is well documented in haplorrhines (apes and monkeys) but not in strepsirrhines (lemurs and lorises). Here, we studied the PAB of seven species representing the main strepsirrhine lineages by sequencing a male and a female genome in each species and using sex differences in coverage to identify the PAB. We found that during primate evolution, the PAB has remained unchanged in strepsirrhines whereas several recombination suppression events moved the PAB and shortened the pseudoautosomal region in haplorrhines. Strepsirrhines are well known to have much lower sexual dimorphism than haplorrhines. We suggest that mutations with antagonistic effects between males and females have driven recombination suppression and PAB evolution in haplorrhines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rylan Shearn
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS / Univ. Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alison E Wright
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvain Mousset
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS / Univ. Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.,Faculty of Mathematics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Corinne Régis
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS / Univ. Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Simon Penel
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS / Univ. Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | | | - Brigitte Crouau-Roy
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, CNRS / Univ. Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Emilie Lecompte
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, CNRS / Univ. Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Gabriel Ab Marais
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS / Univ. Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.,LEAF-Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food Dept, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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95
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Furman BLS, Cauret CMS, Knytl M, Song XY, Premachandra T, Ofori-Boateng C, Jordan DC, Horb ME, Evans BJ. A frog with three sex chromosomes that co-mingle together in nature: Xenopus tropicalis has a degenerate W and a Y that evolved from a Z chromosome. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009121. [PMID: 33166278 PMCID: PMC7652241 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In many species, sexual differentiation is a vital prelude to reproduction, and disruption of this process can have severe fitness effects, including sterility. It is thus interesting that genetic systems governing sexual differentiation vary among-and even within-species. To understand these systems more, we investigated a rare example of a frog with three sex chromosomes: the Western clawed frog, Xenopus tropicalis. We demonstrate that natural populations from the western and eastern edges of Ghana have a young Y chromosome, and that a male-determining factor on this Y chromosome is in a very similar genomic location as a previously known female-determining factor on the W chromosome. Nucleotide polymorphism of expressed transcripts suggests genetic degeneration on the W chromosome, emergence of a new Y chromosome from an ancestral Z chromosome, and natural co-mingling of the W, Z, and Y chromosomes in the same population. Compared to the rest of the genome, a small sex-associated portion of the sex chromosomes has a 50-fold enrichment of transcripts with male-biased expression during early gonadal differentiation. Additionally, X. tropicalis has sex-differences in the rates and genomic locations of recombination events during gametogenesis that are similar to at least two other Xenopus species, which suggests that sex differences in recombination are genus-wide. These findings are consistent with theoretical expectations associated with recombination suppression on sex chromosomes, demonstrate that several characteristics of old and established sex chromosomes (e.g., nucleotide divergence, sex biased expression) can arise well before sex chromosomes become cytogenetically distinguished, and show how these characteristics can have lingering consequences that are carried forward through sex chromosome turnovers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L. S. Furman
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Caroline M. S. Cauret
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Martin Knytl
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
- Department of Cell Biology, Charles University, 7 Vinicna Street, Prague, 12843, Czech Republic
| | - Xue-Ying Song
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Tharindu Premachandra
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | | | - Danielle C. Jordan
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering and National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA
| | - Marko E. Horb
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering and National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA
| | - Ben J. Evans
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
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96
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Singchat W, Ahmad SF, Laopichienpong N, Suntronpong A, Panthum T, Griffin DK, Srikulnath K. Snake W Sex Chromosome: The Shadow of Ancestral Amniote Super-Sex Chromosome. Cells 2020; 9:cells9112386. [PMID: 33142713 PMCID: PMC7692289 DOI: 10.3390/cells9112386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
: Heteromorphic sex chromosomes, particularly the ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system of birds and some reptiles, undergo evolutionary dynamics distinct from those of autosomes. The W sex chromosome is a unique karyological member of this heteromorphic pair, which has been extensively studied in snakes to explore the origin, evolution, and genetic diversity of amniote sex chromosomes. The snake W sex chromosome offers a fascinating model system to elucidate ancestral trajectories that have resulted in genetic divergence of amniote sex chromosomes. Although the principal mechanism driving evolution of the amniote sex chromosome remains obscure, an emerging hypothesis, supported by studies of W sex chromosomes of squamate reptiles and snakes, suggests that sex chromosomes share varied genomic blocks across several amniote lineages. This implies the possible split of an ancestral super-sex chromosome via chromosomal rearrangements. We review the major findings pertaining to sex chromosomal profiles in amniotes and discuss the evolution of an ancestral super-sex chromosome by collating recent evidence sourced mainly from the snake W sex chromosome analysis. We highlight the role of repeat-mediated sex chromosome conformation and present a genomic landscape of snake Z and W chromosomes, which reveals the relative abundance of major repeats, and identifies the expansion of certain transposable elements. The latest revolution in chromosomics, i.e., complete telomere-to-telomere assembly, offers mechanistic insights into the evolutionary origin of sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Worapong Singchat
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Nararat Laopichienpong
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Aorarat Suntronpong
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Thitipong Panthum
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | | | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (S.F.A.); (N.L.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Center for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, National Research University-Kasetsart University, Kasetsart University, (CASTNAR, NRU-KU, Thailand), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/PERDO-CHE), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1, Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima 739-8526, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +66-2562-5644
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97
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Xu L, Irestedt M, Zhou Q. Sequence Transpositions Restore Genes on the Highly Degenerated W Chromosomes of Songbirds. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E1267. [PMID: 33126459 PMCID: PMC7692361 DOI: 10.3390/genes11111267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The female-specific W chromosomes of most Neognathae birds are highly degenerated and gene-poor. Previous studies have demonstrated that the gene repertoires of the Neognathae bird W chromosomes, despite being in small numbers, are conserved across bird species, likely due to purifying selection maintaining the regulatory and dosage-sensitive genes. Here we report the discovery of DNA-based sequence duplications from the Z to the W chromosome in birds-of-paradise (Paradisaeidae, Passeriformes), through sequence transposition. The original transposition involved nine genes, but only two of them (ANXA1 and ALDH1A1) survived on the W chromosomes. Both ANXA1 and ALDH1A1 are predicted to be dosage-sensitive, and the expression of ANXA1 is restricted to ovaries in all the investigated birds. These analyses suggest the newly transposed gene onto the W chromosomes can be favored for their role in restoring dosage imbalance or through female-specific selection. After examining seven additional songbird genomes, we further identified five other transposed genes on the W chromosomes of Darwin's finches and one in the great tit, expanding the observation of the Z-to-W transpositions to a larger range of bird species, but not all transposed genes exhibit dosage-sensitivity or ovary-biased expression We demonstrate a new mechanism by which the highly degenerated W chromosomes of songbirds can acquire genes from the homologous Z chromosomes, but further functional investigations are needed to validate the evolutionary forces underlying the transpositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luohao Xu
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Martin Irestedt
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Qi Zhou
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
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98
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Charlesworth D, Bergero R, Graham C, Gardner J, Yong L. Locating the Sex Determining Region of Linkage Group 12 of Guppy ( Poecilia reticulata). G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2020; 10:3639-3649. [PMID: 32753367 PMCID: PMC7534449 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Despite over 100 years of study, the location of the fully sex-linked region of the guppy (Poecilia reticulata) carrying the male-determining locus, and the regions where the XY pair recombine, remain unclear. Previous population genomics studies to determine these regions used small samples from recently bottlenecked captive populations, which increase the false positive rate of associations between individuals' sexes and SNPs. Using new data from multiple natural populations, we show that a recently proposed candidate for this species' male-determining gene is probably not completely sex-linked, leaving the maleness factor still unidentified. Variants in the chromosome 12 region carrying the candidate gene sometimes show linkage disequilibrium with the sex-determining factor, but no consistently male-specific variant has yet been found. Our genetic mapping with molecular markers spread across chromosome 12 confirms that this is the guppy XY pair. We describe two families with recombinants between the X and Y chromosomes, which confirm that the male-determining locus is in the region identified by all previous studies, near the terminal pseudo-autosomal region (PAR), which crosses over at a very high rate in males. We correct the PAR marker order, and assign two unplaced scaffolds to the PAR. We also detect a duplication, with one copy in the male-determining region, explaining signals of sex linkage in a more proximal region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, EH9 3LF, UK
| | - Roberta Bergero
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, EH9 3LF, UK
| | - Chay Graham
- University of Cambridge, Department of Biochemistry, Sanger Building, 80 Tennis Ct Rd, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Jim Gardner
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, EH9 3LF, UK
| | - Lengxob Yong
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
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99
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Yazdi HP, Silva WTAF, Suh A. Why Do Some Sex Chromosomes Degenerate More Slowly Than Others? The Odd Case of Ratite Sex Chromosomes. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E1153. [PMID: 33007827 PMCID: PMC7601716 DOI: 10.3390/genes11101153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The hallmark of sex chromosome evolution is the progressive suppression of recombination which leads to subsequent degeneration of the non-recombining chromosome. In birds, species belonging to the two major clades, Palaeognathae (including tinamous and flightless ratites) and Neognathae (all remaining birds), show distinctive patterns of sex chromosome degeneration. Birds are female heterogametic, in which females have a Z and a W chromosome. In Neognathae, the highly-degenerated W chromosome seems to have followed the expected trajectory of sex chromosome evolution. In contrast, among Palaeognathae, sex chromosomes of ratite birds are largely recombining. The underlying reason for maintenance of recombination between sex chromosomes in ratites is not clear. Degeneration of the W chromosome might have halted or slowed down due to a multitude of reasons ranging from selective processes, such as a less pronounced effect of sexually antagonistic selection, to neutral processes, such as a slower rate of molecular evolution in ratites. The production of genome assemblies and gene expression data for species of Palaeognathae has made it possible, during recent years, to have a closer look at their sex chromosome evolution. Here, we critically evaluate the understanding of the maintenance of recombination in ratites in light of the current data. We conclude by highlighting certain aspects of sex chromosome evolution in ratites that require further research and can potentially increase power for the inference of the unique history of sex chromosome evolution in this lineage of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alexander Suh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TU, UK;
- Department of Organismal Biology—Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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100
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Laopichienpong N, Kraichak E, Singchat W, Sillapaprayoon S, Muangmai N, Suntrarachun S, Baicharoen S, Peyachoknagul S, Chanhome L, Ezaz T, Srikulnath K. Genome-wide SNP analysis of Siamese cobra (Naja kaouthia) reveals the molecular basis of transitions between Z and W sex chromosomes and supports the presence of an ancestral super-sex chromosome in amniotes. Genomics 2020; 113:624-636. [PMID: 33002626 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.09.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Elucidation of the process of sex chromosome differentiation is necessary to understand the dynamics of evolutionary mechanisms in organisms. The W sex chromosome of the Siamese cobra (Naja kaouthia) contains a large number of repeats and shares amniote sex chromosomal linkages. Diversity Arrays Technology provides an effective approach to identify sex-specific loci that are epoch-making, to understand the dynamics of molecular transitions between the Z and W sex chromosomes in a snake lineage. From a total of 543 sex-specific loci, 90 showed partial homology with sex chromosomes of several amniotes and 89 loci were homologous to transposable elements. Two loci were confirmed as W-specific nucleotides after PCR amplification. These loci might result from a sex chromosome differentiation process and involve putative sex-determination regions in the Siamese cobra. Sex-specific loci shared linkage homologies among amniote sex chromosomes, supporting an ancestral super-sex chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nararat Laopichienpong
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
| | - Ekaphan Kraichak
- Department of Botany, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
| | - Worapong Singchat
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
| | - Siwapech Sillapaprayoon
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
| | - Narongrit Muangmai
- Department of Fishery Biology, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Sunutcha Suntrarachun
- Snake Farm, Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, the Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Sudarath Baicharoen
- Bureau of Conservation and Research, Zoological Park Organization under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King, Bangkok 10300, Thailand
| | - Surin Peyachoknagul
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
| | - Lawan Chanhome
- Snake Farm, Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, the Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Tariq Ezaz
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia.
| | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; Center for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, National Research University-Kasetsart University, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand, (CASTNAR, NRU-KU, Thailand); Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/PERDO-CHE), Bangkok 10900, Thailand; Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok 10900, Thailand; Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1, Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima 739-8526, Japan.
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