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Genomic identification and characterization of the pseudoautosomal region in highly differentiated avian sex chromosomes

Smeds, Linnéa ; Kawakami, Takeshi ; Burri, Reto ; Bolivar, Paulina LU ; Husby, Arild ; Qvarnström, Anna ; Uebbing, Severin and Ellegren, Hans (2014) In Nature Communications 5.
Abstract

The molecular characteristics of the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of sex chromosomes remain elusive. Despite significant genome-sequencing efforts, the PAR of highly differentiated avian sex chromosomes remains to be identified. Here we use linkage analysis together with whole-genome re-sequencing to uncover the 630-kb PAR of an ecological model species, the collared flycatcher. The PAR contains 22 protein-coding genes and is GC rich. The genetic length is 64 cM in female meiosis, consistent with an obligate crossing-over event. Recombination is concentrated to a hotspot region, with an extreme rate of >700 cM/Mb in a 67-kb segment. We find no signatures of sexual antagonism and propose that sexual antagonism may have limited... (More)

The molecular characteristics of the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of sex chromosomes remain elusive. Despite significant genome-sequencing efforts, the PAR of highly differentiated avian sex chromosomes remains to be identified. Here we use linkage analysis together with whole-genome re-sequencing to uncover the 630-kb PAR of an ecological model species, the collared flycatcher. The PAR contains 22 protein-coding genes and is GC rich. The genetic length is 64 cM in female meiosis, consistent with an obligate crossing-over event. Recombination is concentrated to a hotspot region, with an extreme rate of >700 cM/Mb in a 67-kb segment. We find no signatures of sexual antagonism and propose that sexual antagonism may have limited influence on PAR sequences when sex chromosomes are nearly fully differentiated and when a recombination hotspot region is located close to the PAR boundary. Our results demonstrate that a very small PAR suffices to ensure homologous recombination and proper segregation of sex chromosomes during meiosis.

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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
Nature Communications
volume
5
article number
5448
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:25378102
  • scopus:84923272216
ISSN
2041-1723
DOI
10.1038/ncomms6448
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.
id
1466e76f-267d-423c-89e8-8998da4b8b03
date added to LUP
2025-01-23 08:46:39
date last changed
2025-01-23 12:47:39
@article{1466e76f-267d-423c-89e8-8998da4b8b03,
  abstract     = {{<p>The molecular characteristics of the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of sex chromosomes remain elusive. Despite significant genome-sequencing efforts, the PAR of highly differentiated avian sex chromosomes remains to be identified. Here we use linkage analysis together with whole-genome re-sequencing to uncover the 630-kb PAR of an ecological model species, the collared flycatcher. The PAR contains 22 protein-coding genes and is GC rich. The genetic length is 64 cM in female meiosis, consistent with an obligate crossing-over event. Recombination is concentrated to a hotspot region, with an extreme rate of &gt;700 cM/Mb in a 67-kb segment. We find no signatures of sexual antagonism and propose that sexual antagonism may have limited influence on PAR sequences when sex chromosomes are nearly fully differentiated and when a recombination hotspot region is located close to the PAR boundary. Our results demonstrate that a very small PAR suffices to ensure homologous recombination and proper segregation of sex chromosomes during meiosis.</p>}},
  author       = {{Smeds, Linnéa and Kawakami, Takeshi and Burri, Reto and Bolivar, Paulina and Husby, Arild and Qvarnström, Anna and Uebbing, Severin and Ellegren, Hans}},
  issn         = {{2041-1723}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Nature Communications}},
  title        = {{Genomic identification and characterization of the pseudoautosomal region in highly differentiated avian sex chromosomes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6448}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/ncomms6448}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}