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Sex-biased transcriptome divergence along a latitudinal gradient.

Scott L Allen1, Russell Bonduriansky2, Carla M Sgro3

  • 1The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia.

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|January 19, 2017
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Sex-biased gene expression evolves differently between males and females in Drosophila serrata. Localized environmental factors drive distinct evolutionary patterns in gene expression across latitudes, highlighting sex-specific adaptation.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Genomics
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Sex-dependent gene expression is crucial for adaptation to environmental changes.
  • Male-biased genes in Drosophila show faster evolution than unbiased genes.
  • Little is known about the evolution of sex-biased expression within species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how ecological parameters influence sex-specific selection and gene expression evolution.
  • To examine latitudinal clines in gene expression divergence in Drosophila serrata.
  • To understand the role of sex differences in selection on gene expression evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Assayed male and female gene expression in Drosophila serrata across a latitudinal gradient in Australia.
  • Analyzed 11,631 genes across eight populations.
  • Compared divergence patterns between sexes and gene types (e.g., X-linked).

Main Results:

  • Strong sex differences in the frequency, mode, and strength of gene expression divergence.
  • Male divergence was significantly stronger than female divergence and often population-specific.
  • X-linked divergence was elevated in females, particularly for female-biased genes.
  • Observed parallel latitudinal divergence in homologous genes in other Drosophila species.

Conclusions:

  • Sex differences in selection significantly shape the evolution of gene expression at both macro- and micro-ecological scales.
  • Localized selection pressures influence male-specific gene expression divergence.
  • Latitudinal adaptation involves parallel evolutionary changes in gene expression across related species.