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Boman J, Wiklund C, Vila R, Backström N. Meiotic drive against chromosome fusions in butterfly hybrids. Chromosome Res 2024; 32:7. [PMID: 38702576 PMCID: PMC11068667 DOI: 10.1007/s10577-024-09752-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Species frequently differ in the number and structure of chromosomes they harbor, but individuals that are heterozygous for chromosomal rearrangements may suffer from reduced fitness. Chromosomal rearrangements like fissions and fusions can hence serve as a mechanism for speciation between incipient lineages, but their evolution poses a paradox. How can rearrangements get fixed between populations if heterozygotes have reduced fitness? One solution is that this process predominantly occurs in small and isolated populations, where genetic drift can override natural selection. However, fixation is also more likely if a novel rearrangement is favored by a transmission bias, such as meiotic drive. Here, we investigate chromosomal transmission distortion in hybrids between two wood white (Leptidea sinapis) butterfly populations with extensive karyotype differences. Using data from two different crossing experiments, we uncover that there is a transmission bias favoring the ancestral chromosomal state for derived fusions, a result that shows that chromosome fusions actually can fix in populations despite being counteracted by meiotic drive. This means that meiotic drive not only can promote runaway chromosome number evolution and speciation, but also that it can be a conservative force acting against karyotypic change and the evolution of reproductive isolation. Based on our results, we suggest a mechanistic model for why chromosome fusion mutations may be opposed by meiotic drive and discuss factors contributing to karyotype evolution in Lepidoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper Boman
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Christer Wiklund
- Department of Zoology: Division of Ecology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roger Vila
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Univ. Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de La Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Niclas Backström
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
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Kyriacou RG, Mulhair PO, Holland PWH. GC Content Across Insect Genomes: Phylogenetic Patterns, Causes and Consequences. J Mol Evol 2024; 92:138-152. [PMID: 38491221 PMCID: PMC10978632 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10160-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The proportions of A:T and G:C nucleotide pairs are often unequal and can vary greatly between animal species and along chromosomes. The causes and consequences of this variation are incompletely understood. The recent release of high-quality genome sequences from the Darwin Tree of Life and other large-scale genome projects provides an opportunity for GC heterogeneity to be compared across a large number of insect species. Here we analyse GC content along chromosomes, and within protein-coding genes and codons, of 150 insect species from four holometabolous orders: Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera. We find that protein-coding sequences have higher GC content than the genome average, and that Lepidoptera generally have higher GC content than the other three insect orders examined. GC content is higher in small chromosomes in most Lepidoptera species, but this pattern is less consistent in other orders. GC content also increases towards subtelomeric regions within protein-coding genes in Diptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. Two species of Diptera, Bombylius major and B. discolor, have very atypical genomes with ubiquitous increase in AT content, especially at third codon positions. Despite dramatic AT-biased codon usage, we find no evidence that this has driven divergent protein evolution. We argue that the GC landscape of Lepidoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera genomes is influenced by GC-biased gene conversion, strongest in Lepidoptera, with some outlier taxa affected drastically by counteracting processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo G Kyriacou
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Peter O Mulhair
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Peter W H Holland
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
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Galtier N. Half a Century of Controversy: The Neutralist/Selectionist Debate in Molecular Evolution. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae003. [PMID: 38311843 PMCID: PMC10839204 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The neutral and nearly neutral theories, introduced more than 50 yr ago, have raised and still raise passionate discussion regarding the forces governing molecular evolution and their relative importance. The debate, initially focused on the amount of within-species polymorphism and constancy of the substitution rate, has spread, matured, and now underlies a wide range of topics and questions. The neutralist/selectionist controversy has structured the field and influences the way molecular evolutionary scientists conceive their research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Galtier
- ISEM, CNRS, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Näsvall K, Boman J, Talla V, Backström N. Base Composition, Codon Usage, and Patterns of Gene Sequence Evolution in Butterflies. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad150. [PMID: 37565492 PMCID: PMC10462419 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Coding sequence evolution is influenced by both natural selection and neutral evolutionary forces. In many species, the effects of mutation bias, codon usage, and GC-biased gene conversion (gBGC) on gene sequence evolution have not been detailed. Quantification of how these forces shape substitution patterns is therefore necessary to understand the strength and direction of natural selection. Here, we used comparative genomics to investigate the association between base composition and codon usage bias on gene sequence evolution in butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), including an in-depth analysis of underlying patterns and processes in one species, Leptidea sinapis. The data revealed significant G/C to A/T substitution bias at third codon position with some variation in the strength among different butterfly lineages. However, the substitution bias was lower than expected from previously estimated mutation rate ratios, partly due to the influence of gBGC. We found that A/T-ending codons were overrepresented in most species, but there was a positive association between the magnitude of codon usage bias and GC-content in third codon positions. In addition, the tRNA-gene population in L. sinapis showed higher GC-content at third codon positions compared to coding sequences in general and less overrepresentation of A/T-ending codons. There was an inverse relationship between synonymous substitutions and codon usage bias indicating selection on synonymous sites. We conclude that the evolutionary rate in Lepidoptera is affected by a complex interaction between underlying G/C -> A/T mutation bias and partly counteracting fixation biases, predominantly conferred by overall purifying selection, gBGC, and selection on codon usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Näsvall
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jesper Boman
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Venkat Talla
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Niclas Backström
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Shipilina D, Näsvall K, Höök L, Vila R, Talavera G, Backström N. Linkage mapping and genome annotation give novel insights into gene family expansions and regional recombination rate variation in the painted lady (Vanessa cardui) butterfly. Genomics 2022; 114:110481. [PMID: 36115505 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Characterization of gene family expansions and crossing over is crucial for understanding how organisms adapt to the environment. Here, we develop a high-density linkage map and detailed genome annotation of the painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) - a non-diapausing, highly polyphagous species famous for its long-distance migratory behavior and almost cosmopolitan distribution. Our results reveal a complex interplay between regional recombination rate variation, gene duplications and transposable element activity shaping the genome structure of the painted lady. We identify several lineage specific gene family expansions. Their functions are mainly associated with protein and fat metabolism, detoxification, and defense against infection - critical processes for the painted lady's unique life-history. Furthermore, the detailed recombination maps allow us to characterize the regional recombination landscape, data that reveal a strong effect of chromosome size on the recombination rate, a limited impact of GC-biased gene conversion and a positive association between recombination and short interspersed elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Shipilina
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden; Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Thunbergsvägen 2, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Karin Näsvall
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Höök
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Roger Vila
- The Butterfly Diversity and Evolution Lab, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Passeig Martim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gerard Talavera
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB), CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona, Passeig del Migdia s/n, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Niclas Backström
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
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