Sex-chromosome evolution: recent progress and the influence of male and female heterogamety

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Ellegren
Keyword(s):  
Recent Progress ◽  
Chromosome Evolution ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Sex Chromosome Evolution ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Heterogamety

scholarly journals DNA methylation is involved in sexual differentiation and sex chromosome evolution in the dioecious plant garden asparagus

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Fen Li ◽  
Can-Can Lv ◽  
Li-Na Lan ◽  
Kai-Lu Jiang ◽  
Yu-Lan Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Y Chromosome ◽  
Sexual Differentiation ◽  
Flower Development ◽  
Chromosome Evolution ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Sex Chromosome Evolution ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Garden Asparagus ◽  
Female Flowers

AbstractDNA methylation is a crucial regulatory mechanism in many biological processes. However, limited studies have dissected the contribution of DNA methylation to sexual differentiation in dioecious plants. In this study, we investigated the variances in methylation and transcriptional patterns of male and female flowers of garden asparagus. Compared with male flowers, female flowers at the same stages showed higher levels of DNA methylation. Both male and female flowers gained DNA methylation globally from the premeiotic to meiotic stages. Detailed analysis revealed that the increased DNA methylation was largely due to increased CHH methylation. Correlation analysis of differentially expressed genes and differentially methylated regions suggested that DNA methylation might not have contributed to the expression variation of the sex-determining genes SOFF and TDF1 but probably played important roles in sexual differentiation and flower development of garden asparagus. The upregulated genes AoMS1, AoLAP3, AoAMS, and AoLAP5 with varied methylated CHH regions might have been involved in sexual differentiation and flower development of garden asparagus. Plant hormone signaling genes and transcription factor genes also participated in sexual differentiation and flower development with potential epigenetic regulation. In addition, the CG and CHG methylation levels in the Y chromosome were notably higher than those in the X chromosome, implying that DNA methylation might have been involved in Y chromosome evolution. These data provide insights into the epigenetic modification of sexual differentiation and flower development and improve our understanding of sex chromosome evolution in garden asparagus.

scholarly journals Preface

2021 ◽  
Vol 376 (1832) ◽  
pp. 20200088
Author(s):  
Lukáš Kratochvíl ◽  
Matthias Stöck
Keyword(s):  
Sex Determination ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Chromosome Evolution ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Sex Chromosome Evolution ◽  
Evolution Of Sex ◽  
Linkage Groups ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Female Heterogamety

This preface introduces the two parts of a theme issue on vertebrate sex chromosome evolution (title below). We invited and edited 22 articles concerning the following main topics (Part 1): sex determination without sex chromosomes and/or governed by epigenetics; origin of sex-determining genes; reasons for differentiation of sex chromosomes and differences in their rates of differentiation as well as (Part 2): co-option of the same linkage groups into sex chromosomes; is differentiation of sex chromosomes a unidirectional pathway?; consequences of differentiated sex chromosomes; differences in differentiation of sex chromosomes under male versus female heterogamety; evolution of sex chromosomes under hybridization and polyploidy. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part I)’.

scholarly journals Free-living human cells reconfigure their chromosomes in the evolution back to uni-cellularity

eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Xu ◽  
Xinxin Peng ◽  
Yuxin Chen ◽  
Yuezheng Zhang ◽  
Qin Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Frequency Distribution ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Chromosome Evolution ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Gene Dosage ◽  
Chromosomal Evolution ◽  
Sex Chromosome Evolution ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Male And Female

Cells of multi-cellular organisms evolve toward uni-cellularity in the form of cancer and, if humans intervene, continue to evolve in cell culture. During this process, gene dosage relationships may evolve in novel ways to cope with the new environment and may regress back to the ancestral uni-cellular state. In this context, the evolution of sex chromosomes vis-a-vis autosomes is of particular interest. Here, we report the chromosomal evolution in ~ 600 cancer cell lines. Many of them jettisoned either Y or the inactive X; thus, free-living male and female cells converge by becoming ‘de-sexualized’. Surprisingly, the active X often doubled, accompanied by the addition of one haploid complement of autosomes, leading to an X:A ratio of 2:3 from the extant ratio of 1:2. Theoretical modeling of the frequency distribution of X:A karyotypes suggests that the 2:3 ratio confers a higher fitness and may reflect aspects of sex chromosome evolution.

scholarly journals Free-living human cells reconfigure their chromosomes in the evolution back to uni-cellularity

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Xu ◽  
Xinxin Peng ◽  
Yuxin Chen ◽  
Yuezheng Zhang ◽  
Qin Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Frequency Distribution ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Chromosome Evolution ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Gene Dosage ◽  
Chromosomal Evolution ◽  
Sex Chromosome Evolution ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Male And Female

AbstractCells of multi-cellular organisms evolve toward uni-cellularity in the form of cancer and, if humans intervene, continue to evolve in cell culture. During this process, gene dosage relationships may evolve in novel ways to cope with the new environment and may regress back to the ancestral unicellular state. In this context, the evolution of sex chromosomes vis-a-vis autosomes is of particular interest. Here, we report the chromosomal evolution in ~600 cancer cell lines. Many of them jettisoned either Y or the inactive X; thus, free-living male and female cells converge by becoming “de-sexualized”. Surprisingly, the active X often doubled, accompanied by the addition of one haploid complement of autosomes, leading to an X:A ratio of 2:3 from the extant ratio of 1:2. Theoretical modeling of the frequency distribution of X:A karyotypes suggests that the 2:3 ratio confers a higher fitness and may reflect aspects of sex chromosome evolution.

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