TY - JOUR

T1 - Consequences of Asexuality in Natural Populations

T2 - Insights from Stick Insects

AU - Bast, Jens

AU - Parker, Darren J

AU - Dumas, Zoé

AU - Jalvingh, Kirsten M

AU - Tran Van, Patrick

AU - Jaron, Kamil S

AU - Figuet, Emeric

AU - Brandt, Alexander

AU - Galtier, Nicolas

AU - Schwander, Tanja

PY - 2018/7/1

Y1 - 2018/7/1

N2 - Recombination is a fundamental process with significant impacts on genome evolution. Predicted consequences of the loss of recombination include a reduced effectiveness of selection, changes in the amount of neutral polymorphisms segregating in populations, and an arrest of GC-biased gene conversion. Although these consequences are empirically well documented for nonrecombining genome portions, it remains largely unknown if they extend to the whole genome scale in asexual organisms. We identify the consequences of asexuality using de novo transcriptomes of five independently derived, obligately asexual lineages of stick insects, and their sexual sister-species. We find strong evidence for higher rates of deleterious mutation accumulation, lower levels of segregating polymorphisms and arrested GC-biased gene conversion in asexuals as compared with sexuals. Taken together, our study conclusively shows that predicted consequences of genome evolution under asexuality can indeed be found in natural populations.

AB - Recombination is a fundamental process with significant impacts on genome evolution. Predicted consequences of the loss of recombination include a reduced effectiveness of selection, changes in the amount of neutral polymorphisms segregating in populations, and an arrest of GC-biased gene conversion. Although these consequences are empirically well documented for nonrecombining genome portions, it remains largely unknown if they extend to the whole genome scale in asexual organisms. We identify the consequences of asexuality using de novo transcriptomes of five independently derived, obligately asexual lineages of stick insects, and their sexual sister-species. We find strong evidence for higher rates of deleterious mutation accumulation, lower levels of segregating polymorphisms and arrested GC-biased gene conversion in asexuals as compared with sexuals. Taken together, our study conclusively shows that predicted consequences of genome evolution under asexuality can indeed be found in natural populations.

KW - Animals

KW - Gene Conversion

KW - Genetic Variation

KW - Insecta/genetics

KW - Mutation Accumulation

KW - Reproduction, Asexual

KW - Selection, Genetic

KW - Silent Mutation

U2 - 10.1093/molbev/msy058

DO - 10.1093/molbev/msy058

M3 - Article

C2 - 29659991

VL - 35

SP - 1668

EP - 1677

JO - Molecular Biology and Evolution

JF - Molecular Biology and Evolution

SN - 0737-4038

IS - 7

ER -