1. |
- Dutoit, Ludovic, et al.
(författare)
-
Sex-biased gene expression, sexual antagonism and levels of genetic diversity in the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) genome
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 27:18, s. 3572-3581
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Theoretical work suggests that sexual conflict should promote the maintenance of genetic diversity by the opposing directions of selection on sexually antagonistic mutations in males and females. This prediction, so far not been empirically tested on a genome-wide scale, could potentially contribute towards genomic heterogeneity in levels of genetic diversity. We used large-scale population genomic and transcriptomic data from the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) to analyse how sex-biased gene expression – one outcome of sexual conflict – relates to genetic variability. Here, we demonstrate that the extent of sex-biased gene expression of both male-biased and female-biased genes is significantly correlated with levels of nucleotide diversity in gene sequences and that this correlation extends to the overall levels of genomic diversity. We find evidence for balancing selection in sex-biased genes, suggesting that sex-biased gene expression could be seen as a component counteracting the diversity-reducing effects of linked positive and purifying selection. The observation of significant genetic differentiation between males and females for male-biased genes indicates ongoing sexual conflict and sex-specific viability selection, potentially driven by sexual selection. Our results thus provide a new perspective on the long-standing question in evolutionary biology of how genomes can remain so genetically variable in face of strong natural and sexual selection.
|
|
2. |
- Ekblom, Robert, Docent, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
-
Genome sequencing and conservation genomics in the Scandinavian wolverine population
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Conservation Biology. - : WILEY. - 0888-8892 .- 1523-1739. ; 32:6, s. 1301-1312
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genetic approaches have proved valuable to the study and conservation of endangered populations, especially for monitoring programs, and there is potential for further developments in this direction by extending analyses to the genomic level. We assembled the genome of the wolverine (Gulo gulo), a mustelid that in Scandinavia has recently recovered from a significant population decline, and obtained a 2.42 Gb draft sequence representing >85% of the genome and including >21,000 protein-coding genes. We then performed whole-genome resequencing of 10 Scandinavian wolverines for population genomic and demographic analyses. Genetic diversity was among the lowest detected in a red-listed population (mean genome-wide nucleotide diversity of 0.05%). Results of the demographic analyses indicated a long-term decline of the effective population size (N-e) from 10,000 well before the last glaciation to N-e appeared even lower. The genome-wide F-IS level was 0.089 (possibly signaling inbreeding), but this effect was not observed when analyzing a set of highly variable SNP markers, illustrating that such markers can give a biased picture of the overall character of genetic diversity. We found significant population structure, which has implications for population connectivity and conservation. We used an integrated microfluidic circuit chip technology to develop an SNP-array consisting of 96 highly informative markers that, together with a multiplex pre-amplification step, was successfully applied to low-quality DNA from scat samples. Our findings will inform management, conservation, and genetic monitoring of wolverines and serve as a genomic roadmap that can be applied to other endangered species. The approach used here can be generally utilized in other systems, but we acknowledge the trade-off between investing in genomic resources and direct conservation actions.
|
|
3. |
- Suh, Alexander, et al.
(författare)
-
Abundant recent activity of retrovirus-like retrotransposons within and among flycatcher species implies a rich source of structural variation in songbird genomes
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 27:1, s. 99-111
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transposable elements (TEs) are genomic parasites capable of inserting virtually anywhere in the host genome, with manifold consequences for gene expression, DNA methylation and genomic stability. Notably, they can contribute to phenotypic variation and hence be associated with, for example, local adaptation and speciation. However, some organisms such as birds have been widely noted for the low densities of TEs in their genomes and this has been attributed to a potential dearth in transposition during their evolution. Here, we show that avian evolution witnessed diverse and abundant transposition on very recent timescales. First, we made an in-depth repeat annotation of the collared flycatcher genome, including identification of 23 new, retrovirus-like LTR retrotransposon families. Then, using whole-genome resequencing data from 200 Ficedula flycatchers, we detected 11,888 polymorphic TE insertions (TE presence/absence variations, TEVs) that segregated within and among species. The density of TEVs was one every 1.5-2.5Mb per individual, with heterozygosities of 0.12-0.16. The majority of TEVs belonged to some 10 different LTR families, most of which are specific to the flycatcher lineage. TEVs were validated by tracing the segregation of hundreds of TEVs across a three-generation pedigree of collared flycatchers and also by their utility as markers recapitulating the phylogenetic relationships among flycatcher species. Our results suggest frequent germline invasions of songbird genomes by novel retroviruses as a rich source of structural variation, which may have had underappreciated phenotypic consequences for the diversification of this species-rich group of birds.
|
|