Sex-biased gene expression is repeatedly masculinized in asexual females
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In: Nature Communications, Vol. 10, No. 1, 11.10.2019, p. 4638.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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T1 - Sex-biased gene expression is repeatedly masculinized in asexual females
AU - Parker, Darren J
AU - Bast, Jens
AU - Jalvingh, Kirsten
AU - Dumas, Zoé
AU - Robinson-Rechavi, Marc
AU - Schwander, Tanja
PY - 2019/10/11
Y1 - 2019/10/11
N2 - Males and females feature strikingly different phenotypes, despite sharing most of their genome. A resolution of this apparent paradox is through differential gene expression, whereby genes are expressed at different levels in each sex. This resolution, however, is likely to be incomplete, leading to conflict between males and females over the optimal expression of genes. Here we test the hypothesis that gene expression in females is constrained from evolving to its optimum level due to sexually antagonistic selection on males, by examining changes in sex-biased gene expression in five obligate asexual species of stick insect, which do not produce males. We predicted that the transcriptome of asexual females would be feminized as asexual females do not experience any sexual conflict. Contrary to our prediction we find that asexual females feature masculinized gene expression, and hypothesise that this is due to shifts in female optimal gene expression levels following the suppression of sex.
AB - Males and females feature strikingly different phenotypes, despite sharing most of their genome. A resolution of this apparent paradox is through differential gene expression, whereby genes are expressed at different levels in each sex. This resolution, however, is likely to be incomplete, leading to conflict between males and females over the optimal expression of genes. Here we test the hypothesis that gene expression in females is constrained from evolving to its optimum level due to sexually antagonistic selection on males, by examining changes in sex-biased gene expression in five obligate asexual species of stick insect, which do not produce males. We predicted that the transcriptome of asexual females would be feminized as asexual females do not experience any sexual conflict. Contrary to our prediction we find that asexual females feature masculinized gene expression, and hypothesise that this is due to shifts in female optimal gene expression levels following the suppression of sex.
KW - Animals
KW - Female
KW - Gene Expression Regulation
KW - Male
KW - Neoptera/genetics
KW - Selection, Genetic
KW - Sex Characteristics
KW - Sex Factors
KW - Sexual Behavior
KW - Transcriptome
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-019-12659-8
DO - 10.1038/s41467-019-12659-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 31604947
VL - 10
SP - 4638
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
SN - 2041-1723
IS - 1
ER -