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Domestication affects sex-biased gene expression evolution in the duck.
Hongchang Gu1,2, Liang Wang3, Xueze Lv3
1Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Royal Society Open Science
|April 10, 2023
Summary
Domestication alters sex-biased gene expression and evolutionary rates in ducks. This study reveals how artificial and sexual selection shape genomic diversity and evolution in domesticated populations.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genomics
- Animal breeding
Background:
- Genes with sex-biased expression contribute to sexually dimorphic traits and are influenced by differing selection pressures in males and females.
- Sexual conflict is hypothesized to drive the evolution of sex-biased expression, enabling distinct fitness optima for each sex.
- Domestication can modify population structures and mating systems, potentially altering the dynamics of sexual selection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare sex-biased gene expression and genetic signatures between wild and domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos).
- To investigate the impact of domestication on sexual selection and identify genomic divergence shaped by selection.
- To explore the relationship between domestication, sex-biased evolution, and evolutionary rates.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of sex-biased gene expression in wild and domestic duck populations.
- Examination of genetic signatures, including dN/dS ratios and nucleotide diversity.
- Correlation analysis to link sex-biased expression with genetic diversity and evolutionary rates.
Main Results:
- A positive correlation was observed between the extent of sex-biased expression and both dN/dS and nucleotide diversity.
- Changes in sex-biased expression patterns appear to be influenced by relaxed genetic constraints during domestication.
- Domestication is clearly linked to altered sex-biased evolutionary rates, with decreased polymorphism and evolutionary rates in domestic ducks.
Conclusions:
- Domestication significantly impacts sex-biased evolution, affecting gene expression and evolutionary rates.
- Artificial selection and sexual selection play crucial roles in shaping genome diversity and evolutionary rates in domesticated species.
- Relaxed genetic constraints may contribute to observed patterns of sex-biased expression in domestic ducks.
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