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The microevolutionary response to male-limited X-chromosome evolution in Drosophila melanogaster reflects macroevolutionary patterns

Abbott, Jessica K. LU orcid ; Chippindale, Adam K. and Morrow, Edward H. (2020) In Journal of evolutionary biology 33(6). p.738-750
Abstract

Due to its hemizygous inheritance and role in sex determination, the X-chromosome is expected to play an important role in the evolution of sexual dimorphism and to be enriched for sexually antagonistic genetic variation. By forcing the X-chromosome to only be expressed in males over >40 generations, we changed the selection pressures on the X to become similar to those experienced by the Y. This releases the X from any constraints arising from selection in females and should lead to specialization for male fitness, which could occur either via direct effects of X-linked loci or trans-regulation of autosomal loci by the X. We found evidence of masculinization via up-regulation of male-benefit sexually antagonistic genes and... (More)

Due to its hemizygous inheritance and role in sex determination, the X-chromosome is expected to play an important role in the evolution of sexual dimorphism and to be enriched for sexually antagonistic genetic variation. By forcing the X-chromosome to only be expressed in males over >40 generations, we changed the selection pressures on the X to become similar to those experienced by the Y. This releases the X from any constraints arising from selection in females and should lead to specialization for male fitness, which could occur either via direct effects of X-linked loci or trans-regulation of autosomal loci by the X. We found evidence of masculinization via up-regulation of male-benefit sexually antagonistic genes and down-regulation of X-linked female-benefit genes. Potential artefacts of the experimental evolution protocol are discussed and cannot be wholly discounted, leading to several caveats. Interestingly, we could detect evidence of microevolutionary changes consistent with previously documented macroevolutionary patterns, such as changes in expression consistent with previously established patterns of sexual dimorphism, an increase in the expression of metabolic genes related to mito-nuclear conflict and evidence that dosage compensation effects can be rapidly altered. These results confirm the importance of the X in the evolution of sexual dimorphism and as a source for sexually antagonistic genetic variation and demonstrate that experimental evolution can be a fruitful method for testing theories of sex chromosome evolution.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
experimental evolution, gene expression, microarray, sexual conflict
in
Journal of evolutionary biology
volume
33
issue
6
pages
13 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:85082958082
  • pmid:32176391
ISSN
1010-061X
DOI
10.1111/jeb.13618
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ca968348-db2e-4c1c-ada8-2a0199e12d66
date added to LUP
2020-05-07 16:57:23
date last changed
2024-05-15 10:43:13
@article{ca968348-db2e-4c1c-ada8-2a0199e12d66,
  abstract     = {{<p>Due to its hemizygous inheritance and role in sex determination, the X-chromosome is expected to play an important role in the evolution of sexual dimorphism and to be enriched for sexually antagonistic genetic variation. By forcing the X-chromosome to only be expressed in males over &gt;40 generations, we changed the selection pressures on the X to become similar to those experienced by the Y. This releases the X from any constraints arising from selection in females and should lead to specialization for male fitness, which could occur either via direct effects of X-linked loci or trans-regulation of autosomal loci by the X. We found evidence of masculinization via up-regulation of male-benefit sexually antagonistic genes and down-regulation of X-linked female-benefit genes. Potential artefacts of the experimental evolution protocol are discussed and cannot be wholly discounted, leading to several caveats. Interestingly, we could detect evidence of microevolutionary changes consistent with previously documented macroevolutionary patterns, such as changes in expression consistent with previously established patterns of sexual dimorphism, an increase in the expression of metabolic genes related to mito-nuclear conflict and evidence that dosage compensation effects can be rapidly altered. These results confirm the importance of the X in the evolution of sexual dimorphism and as a source for sexually antagonistic genetic variation and demonstrate that experimental evolution can be a fruitful method for testing theories of sex chromosome evolution.</p>}},
  author       = {{Abbott, Jessica K. and Chippindale, Adam K. and Morrow, Edward H.}},
  issn         = {{1010-061X}},
  keywords     = {{experimental evolution; gene expression; microarray; sexual conflict}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{738--750}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Journal of evolutionary biology}},
  title        = {{The microevolutionary response to male-limited X-chromosome evolution in Drosophila melanogaster reflects macroevolutionary patterns}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13618}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/jeb.13618}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}