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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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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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Lind AL, Lai YYY, Mostovoy Y, Holloway AK, Iannucci A, Mak ACY, Fondi M, Orlandini V, Eckalbar WL, Milan M, Rovatsos M, Kichigin IG, Makunin AI, Johnson Pokorná M, Altmanová M, Trifonov VA, Schijlen E, Kratochvíl L, Fani R, Velenský P, Rehák I, Patarnello T, Jessop TS, Hicks JW, Ryder OA, Mendelson JR, Ciofi C, Kwok PY, Pollard KS, Bruneau BG. Genome of the Komodo dragon reveals adaptations in the cardiovascular and chemosensory systems of monitor lizards. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:1241-1252. [PMID: 31358948 PMCID: PMC6668926 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0945-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Monitor lizards are unique among ectothermic reptiles in that they have high aerobic capacity and distinctive cardiovascular physiology resembling that of endothermic mammals. Here, we sequence the genome of the Komodo dragon Varanus komodoensis, the largest extant monitor lizard, and generate a high-resolution de novo chromosome-assigned genome assembly for V. komodoensis using a hybrid approach of long-range sequencing and single-molecule optical mapping. Comparing the genome of V. komodoensis with those of related species, we find evidence of positive selection in pathways related to energy metabolism, cardiovascular homoeostasis, and haemostasis. We also show species-specific expansions of a chemoreceptor gene family related to pheromone and kairomone sensing in V. komodoensis and other lizard lineages. Together, these evolutionary signatures of adaptation reveal the genetic underpinnings of the unique Komodo dragon sensory and cardiovascular systems, and suggest that selective pressure altered haemostasis genes to help Komodo dragons evade the anticoagulant effects of their own saliva. The Komodo dragon genome is an important resource for understanding the biology of monitor lizards and reptiles worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yvonne Y Y Lai
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yulia Mostovoy
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Alessio Iannucci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Angel C Y Mak
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Marco Fondi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Valerio Orlandini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Walter L Eckalbar
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Massimo Milan
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Ilya G Kichigin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alex I Makunin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Martina Johnson Pokorná
- Department of Ecology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Altmanová
- Department of Ecology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | | | - Elio Schijlen
- B.U. Bioscience, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Renato Fani
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Ivan Rehák
- Prague Zoological Garden, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomaso Patarnello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Tim S Jessop
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - James W Hicks
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Oliver A Ryder
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo, Escondido, CA, USA
| | - Joseph R Mendelson
- Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Claudio Ciofi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Pui-Yan Kwok
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Katherine S Pollard
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Chan-Zuckerberg BioHub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Benoit G Bruneau
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Abstract
The evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes has occurred independently many times in different lineages. The differentiation of sex chromosomes leads to dramatic changes in sequence composition and function and guides the evolutionary trajectory and utilization of genes in pivotal sex determination and reproduction roles. In addition, meiotic recombination and pairing mechanisms are key in orchestrating the resultant impact, retention and maintenance of heteromorphic sex chromosomes, as the resulting exposure of unpaired DNA at meiosis triggers ancient repair and checkpoint pathways. In this review, we summarize the different ways in which sex chromosome systems are organized at meiosis, how pairing is affected, and differences in unpaired DNA responses. We hypothesize that lineage specific differences in meiotic organization is not only a consequence of sex chromosome evolution, but that the establishment of epigenetic changes on sex chromosomes contributes toward their evolutionary conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasman Daish
- Comparative Genome Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Frank Grützner
- Comparative Genome Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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