Evolution of intraspecific transcriptomic landscapes in yeasts

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Genomics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Gene expression variations are key to understanding regulatory networks and phenotypic diversity.
• Previous studies focused on model organisms like Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• Lachancea kluyveri presents a unique evolutionary context, diverging before whole genome duplication and possessing genomic heterogeneity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the evolution of the transcriptomic landscape across yeast species.
• To analyze whole-genome expression in Lachancea kluyveri using RNA-seq.
• To link gene evolutionary history with expression behavior and regulatory network properties.

Main Methods:

• Whole-genome expression measurement using RNA-seq in a large collection of Lachancea kluyveri.
• Comparative transcriptomic analysis.
• Investigation of gene acquisition, function relaxation, transcription levels, intraspecific variation, and network connectivity.

Main Results:

• A clear link exists between gene evolutionary history and expression behavior.
• Recently acquired genes or those under function relaxation show reduced transcription, increased intraspecific variation (plasticity), and lower network connectivity.
• Specific regulatory network signatures were identified in L. kluyveri for aerobic respiration, amino-acid biosynthesis, and glycosylation.

Conclusions:

• Gene evolutionary history significantly shapes transcriptomic variation and regulatory network architecture.
• Lachancea kluyveri's unique genomic features and lifestyle contribute to distinct regulatory signatures.
• The study provides insights into the evolution of intraspecific transcriptomic variation across species.