Sex-biased gene expression, sexual antagonism and levels of genetic diversity in the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) genome
(2018) In Molecular Ecology 27(18). p.3572-3581- Abstract
Theoretical work suggests that sexual conflict should promote the maintenance of genetic diversity by the opposing directions of selection on males and females. If such conflict is pervasive, it could potentially lead to genomic heterogeneity in levels of genetic diversity an idea that so far has not been empirically tested on a genomewide scale. We used large-scale population genomic and transcriptomic data from the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) to analyse how sexual conflict, for which we use sex-biased gene expression as a proxy, relates to genetic variability. Here, we demonstrate that the extent of sex-biased gene expression of both male-biased and female-biased genes is significantly correlated with levels of... (More)
Theoretical work suggests that sexual conflict should promote the maintenance of genetic diversity by the opposing directions of selection on males and females. If such conflict is pervasive, it could potentially lead to genomic heterogeneity in levels of genetic diversity an idea that so far has not been empirically tested on a genomewide scale. We used large-scale population genomic and transcriptomic data from the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) to analyse how sexual conflict, for which we use sex-biased gene expression as a proxy, relates to genetic variability. Here, we demonstrate that the extent of sex-biased gene expression of both male-biased and female-biased genes is significantly correlated with levels of nucleotide diversity in gene sequences and that this correlation extends to diversity levels also in intergenic DNA and introns. We find signatures of balancing selection in sex-biased genes but also note that relaxed purifying selection could potentially explain part of the observed patterns. The finding of significant genetic differentiation between males and females for male-biased (and gonad-specific) genes indicates ongoing sexual conflict and sex-specific viability selection, potentially driven by sexual selection. Our results thus indicate that sexual antagonism could potentially be considered as one viable explanation to the long-standing question in evolutionary biology of how genomes can remain so genetically variable in face of strong natural and sexual selection.
(Less)
- author
- Dutoit, Ludovic ; Mugal, Carina F ; Bolívar, Paulina LU ; Wang, Mi ; Nadachowska-Brzyska, Krystyna ; Smeds, Linnéa ; Yazdi, Homa P ; Gustafsson, Lars and Ellegren, Hans
- publishing date
- 2018-09
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Genomics, DNA, Intergenic/genetics, Sex-biased gene expression, Gene Expression, Genetic Variation, Genetics, Population, Transcriptomics, Introns, Songbirds/genetics, Selection, Genetic, Sex Chromosome Evolution
- in
- Molecular Ecology
- volume
- 27
- issue
- 18
- pages
- 3572 - 3581
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:30055065
- scopus:85053273333
- ISSN
- 0962-1083
- DOI
- 10.1111/mec.14789
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- id
- 64cfb0f6-2e83-4535-9dc2-3b022f086e6a
- date added to LUP
- 2024-05-14 11:15:57
- date last changed
- 2024-06-12 06:44:34
@article{64cfb0f6-2e83-4535-9dc2-3b022f086e6a,
abstract = {{<p>Theoretical work suggests that sexual conflict should promote the maintenance of genetic diversity by the opposing directions of selection on males and females. If such conflict is pervasive, it could potentially lead to genomic heterogeneity in levels of genetic diversity an idea that so far has not been empirically tested on a genomewide scale. We used large-scale population genomic and transcriptomic data from the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) to analyse how sexual conflict, for which we use sex-biased gene expression as a proxy, relates to genetic variability. Here, we demonstrate that the extent of sex-biased gene expression of both male-biased and female-biased genes is significantly correlated with levels of nucleotide diversity in gene sequences and that this correlation extends to diversity levels also in intergenic DNA and introns. We find signatures of balancing selection in sex-biased genes but also note that relaxed purifying selection could potentially explain part of the observed patterns. The finding of significant genetic differentiation between males and females for male-biased (and gonad-specific) genes indicates ongoing sexual conflict and sex-specific viability selection, potentially driven by sexual selection. Our results thus indicate that sexual antagonism could potentially be considered as one viable explanation to the long-standing question in evolutionary biology of how genomes can remain so genetically variable in face of strong natural and sexual selection.</p>}},
author = {{Dutoit, Ludovic and Mugal, Carina F and Bolívar, Paulina and Wang, Mi and Nadachowska-Brzyska, Krystyna and Smeds, Linnéa and Yazdi, Homa P and Gustafsson, Lars and Ellegren, Hans}},
issn = {{0962-1083}},
keywords = {{Genomics; DNA, Intergenic/genetics; Sex-biased gene expression; Gene Expression; Genetic Variation; Genetics, Population; Transcriptomics; Introns; Songbirds/genetics; Selection, Genetic; Sex Chromosome Evolution}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{18}},
pages = {{3572--3581}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Molecular Ecology}},
title = {{Sex-biased gene expression, sexual antagonism and levels of genetic diversity in the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) genome}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.14789}},
doi = {{10.1111/mec.14789}},
volume = {{27}},
year = {{2018}},
}