Convergent Evolution of Chromosomal Sex-Determining Regions in the Animal and Fungal Kingdoms

Fraser, James A.; Diezmann, Stephanie; Subaran, Ryan; Allen, Andria; Lengeler, Klaus B.; Dietrich, Fred S.; Heitman, Joseph

doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0020384

Cited by 225 publications

(326 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…However, in many cases, each haploid individual has a mating type, genetically determined by the mating type locus, and individuals must be of opposite mating types to mate successfully. In fungi such as Neurospora tetrasperma, Microbotryum violaceum and Cryptococcus neoformans, each haploid genome contains a single copy of the mating type locus and meiotic recombination within the mating type locus is suppressed [110][111][112]. In these fungal mating type chromosomes, recombination is suppressed over a region extending far beyond the mating type genes.…”

Section: Expansion Of the Non-recombining Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

No amicable divorce? Challenging the notion that sexual antagonism drives sex chromosome evolution

Ironside¹

2010

BioEssays

119

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Ironside, J. E. (2010). No amicable divorce? Challenging the notion that sexual antagonism drives sex chromosome evolution. Bioessays, 32, (8), 718-726. IMPF: 04.47 RONO: 00Although sexual antagonism may have played a role in forming some sex chromosome systems, there appears to be little empirical or theoretical justification in assuming that it is the driving force in all cases of sex chromosome evolution. In many species, sex chromosomes have diverged in size and shape through the accumulation of mutations in regions of suppressed recombination. It is commonly assumed that recombination is suppressed in sex chromosomes due to selection to resolve sexually antagonistic pleiotropy. However, the requirement for a sex chromosome-specific mechanism for suppressing recombination is questionable, since more general models of recombination suppression on autosomes also appear to be applicable to sex chromosomes. Direct tests of the predictions of the sexual antagonism hypothesis offer only limited support in specific sex chromosome systems and circumstantial evidence remains open to interpretation.Peer reviewe

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Section: Expansion Of the Non-recombining Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

No amicable divorce? Challenging the notion that sexual antagonism drives sex chromosome evolution

Ironside¹

2010

BioEssays

119

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“…However, at present there is no solid evidence for genetic degeneration in fungal mating-type-determining regions. For example, the mating-type locus of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans contains B20 genes in about 100 kb of non-recombining DNA and does not show any obvious signs of genetic degeneration (Lengeler et al, 2002;Fraser et al, 2004). Here, we focus on the analysis of population-genetic processes dominating evolution in the non-recombining mating-type-specific regions of the smut fungus M. violaceum.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA polymorphism in recombining and non-recombing mating-type-specific loci of the smut fungus Microbotryum

Votintseva

Filatov

2010

Heredity

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The population-genetic processes leading to the genetic degeneration of non-recombining regions have mainly been studied in animal and plant sex chromosomes. Here, we report population genetic analysis of the processes in the non-recombining mating-type-specific regions of the smut fungus Microbotryum violaceum. M. violaceum has A1 and A2 mating types, determined by mating-type-specific 'sex chromosomes' that contain 1-2 Mb long non-recombining regions. If genetic degeneration were occurring, then one would expect reduced DNA polymorphism in the non-recombining regions of this fungus. The analysis of DNA diversity among 19 M. violaceum strains, collected across Europe from Silene latifolia flowers, revealed that (i) DNA polymorphism is relatively low in all 20 studied loci (pB0.15%), (ii) it is not significantly different between the two mating-type-specific chromosomes nor between the non-recombining and recombining regions, (iii) there is substantial population structure in M. violaceum populations, which resembles that of its host species, S. latifolia, and (iv) there is significant linkage disequilibrium, suggesting that widespread selfing in this species results in a reduction of the effective recombination rate across the genome. We hypothesise that selfing-related reduction of recombination across the M. violaceum genome negates the difference in the level of DNA polymorphism between the recombining and non-recombining regions, and may possibly lead to similar levels of genetic degeneration in the mating-type-specific regions of the non-recombining 'sex chromosomes' and elsewhere in the genome.

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“…Sex chromosomes in plants and animals and mating type loci in fungi share strikingly similar genomic features and evolutionary processes, and this convergent evolution across kingdoms reflects similar selection forces that drive their formation (Fraser et al 2004). Sex chromosomes at advanced stages are easily distinguishable from autosomes because they are heteromorphic from each other and from the autosomes.…”

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confidence: 99%

The sex-specific region of sex chromosomes in animals and plants

et al. 2011

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Our understanding of the evolution of sex chromosomes has increased greatly in recent years due to a number of molecular evolutionary investigations in divergent sex chromosome systems, and these findings are reshaping theories of sex chromosome evolution. In particular, the dynamics of the sex-determining region (SDR) have been demonstrated by recent findings in ancient and incipient sex chromosomes. Radical changes in genomic structure and gene content in the male specific region of the Y chromosome between human and chimpanzee indicated rapid evolution in the past 6 million years, defying the notion that the pace of evolution in the SDR was fast at early stages but slowed down overtime. The chicken Z and the human X chromosomes appeared to have acquired testisexpressed genes and expanded in intergenic regions. Transposable elements greatly contributed to SDR expansion and aided the trafficking of genes in the SDR and its X or Z counterpart through retrotransposition. Dosage compensation is not a destined consequence of sex chromosomes as once thought. Most X-linked microRNA genes escape silencing and are expressed in testis. Collectively, these findings are challenging many of our preconceived ideas of the evolutionary trajectory and fates of sex chromosomes.

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Convergent Evolution of Chromosomal Sex-Determining Regions in the Animal and Fungal Kingdoms

Cited by 225 publications

References 47 publications

No amicable divorce? Challenging the notion that sexual antagonism drives sex chromosome evolution

No amicable divorce? Challenging the notion that sexual antagonism drives sex chromosome evolution

DNA polymorphism in recombining and non-recombing mating-type-specific loci of the smut fungus Microbotryum

The sex-specific region of sex chromosomes in animals and plants

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