Secondary contact, introgressive hybridization and genome stabilization in sticklebacks

Abstract

Advances in genomic studies have revealed that hybridization in nature is pervasive and raised questions about the dynamics of different genetic and evolutionary factors following the initial hybridization event. While recent research has proposed that the genomic outcomes of hybridization might be predictable to some extent, many uncertainties remain. With comprehensive whole-genome sequence data, we investigated the genetic introgression between two divergent lineages of nine-spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) in the Baltic Sea. We found that the intensity and direction of selection on the introgressed variation varied across different genomic elements: while functionally important regions had experienced reduced rates of introgression, promoter regions showed enrichment. Despite the general trend of negative selection, we identified specific genomic regions that were enriched for introgressed variants and within these regions, we detected footprints of selection, indicating adaptive introgression. We found the selection against the functional changes to be strongest in the vicinity of the secondary contact zone and weaken as a function of distance from the initial contact. Altogether, the results suggest that the stabilization of introgressed variation in the genomes is a complex, multi-stage process involving both negative and positive selection. In spite of the predominance of negative selection against introgressed variants, we also found evidence for adaptive introgression variants likely associated with adaptation to Baltic Sea environmental conditions.

Sex chromosome turnover in hybridizing stickleback lineages

“…Alternatively, the sex chromosome turnover in the WL-EL hybrid zone might be driven by natural selection favoring the LG3-Y which might contain genes adapted to reproduction in high-salinity environments in the western Baltic Sea 27 . These fitness-related genes are difficult to identify using the current reference genome containing the autosomal LG3 which is highly different from the LG3-Y (Fig.…”

“…LG12 is not associated with phenotypic sex in the WL which has unidentified homomorphic sex chromosomes that seem to have evolved more recently 25 . In addition, WL and EL hybridize in the southeastern North Sea and southern Baltic Sea [20][21][22]24,27 , indicating coexistence of different sex chromosomes and a potential sex chromosome turnover.…”