scholarly journals Sex chromosomes, sex ratios and sex gaps in longevity in plants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel AB Marais ◽  
Jean-Francois Lemaitre
Keyword(s):  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Sex Ratios ◽  
Y Chromosomes ◽  
Adult Sex Ratio ◽  
Female Longevity ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Relationship

In animals, males and females can display markedly different longevity (also called sex gap in longevity, SGLs). Recent work has revealed that sex chromosomes contribute to establishing these SGLs. X-hemizygosity and toxicity of the Y chromosomes are two mechanisms that have been suggested to reduce male longevity (Z-hemizygosity and W toxicity in females in ZW systems). In plants, SGLs are known to exist but the role of sex chromosomes remains to be established. Here, by using adult sex ratio as a proxy for measuring SGLs, we explored the relationship between sex chromosome and SGLs across 43 plant species. Based on the knowledge recently accumulated in animals, we specifically asked whether: (i) species with XY systems tend to have female-biased sex ratios (reduced male longevity) and species with ZW ones tend to have male-biased sex ratios (reduced female longevity), and (ii) this patterns was stronger in heteromorphic systems compared to homomorphic ones. Our results tend to support these predictions although we lack statistical power because of a small number of ZW systems and the absence of any heteromorphic ZW system in the dataset. We discuss the implications of these findings, which we hope will stimulate further research on sex-differences in lifespan and ageing across plants.

scholarly journals Seed sexing revealed female bias in two Rumex species

2011 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dagmara Kwolek ◽  
Andrzej J. Joachimiak
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Dna Markers ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Sex Ratios ◽  
Ratio Bias ◽  
Sex Ratio Bias ◽  
Y Chromosomes ◽  
Sex Chromosome System ◽  
Female Bias

Sex-ratio bias in seeds of dioecious <em>Rumex</em> species with sex chromosomes is an interesting and still unsettled issue. To resolve gender among seeds of <em>R. acetosa</em> and <em>R. thyrsiflorus</em> (two species with an XX/XY1Y2 sex chromosome system), this work applied a PCR-based method involving DNA markers located on Y chromosomes. Both species showed female-biased primary sex ratios, with female bias greater in <em>R. acetosa</em> than in <em>R. thyrsiflorus</em>. The observed predominance of female seeds is consistent with the view that the female biased sex ratios in <em>Rumex </em>are conditioned not only postzygotically but also prezygotically.

The role of sex chromosomes in black fly evolution

Genome ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 538-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Feraday ◽  
K. G. Leonhardt ◽  
C. L. Brockhouse
Keyword(s):  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Rearrangements ◽  
Black Flies ◽  
Black Fly ◽  
Adaptive Process ◽  
Y Chromosomes

Sex chromosomes have been repeatedly implicated in the process of speciation of black flies and other nemotocerans. Arguments are presented here against the case that frequent differences between species in their sex chromosomes are based on (i) different average rates of differentiation of sex-linked and autosomal loci or (ii) the fact that the X and Y chromosomes are less numerous than autosomal chromosomes and so are more subject to the effects of drift and the random fixation of chromosome rearrangements. The argument is made that speciation in black flies and many other groups is an adaptive process and that differentiated sex-chromosome systems play a role in this process.Key words: black flies, sex chromosomes, speciation, evolution.

scholarly journals Sex-chromosome evolution in frogs: what role for sex-antagonistic genes?

2021 ◽  
Vol 376 (1832) ◽  
pp. 20200094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Perrin
Keyword(s):  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Turnover Rate ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Chromosome Evolution ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Deleterious Mutations ◽  
Sex Chromosome Evolution ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Y Chromosomes

Sex-antagonistic (SA) genes are widely considered to be crucial players in the evolution of sex chromosomes, being instrumental in the arrest of recombination and degeneration of Y chromosomes, as well as important drivers of sex-chromosome turnovers. To test such claims, one needs to focus on systems at the early stages of differentiation, ideally with a high turnover rate. Here, I review recent work on two families of amphibians, Ranidae (true frogs) and Hylidae (tree frogs), to show that results gathered so far from these groups provide no support for a significant role of SA genes in the evolutionary dynamics of their sex chromosomes. The findings support instead a central role for neutral processes and deleterious mutations. 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)’.

Male Sterility and Meiotic Drive Associated With Sex Chromosome Rearrangements in Drosophila: Role of X-Y Pairing

Genetics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce D McKee ◽  
Kathy Wilhelm ◽  
Cynthia Merrill ◽  
Xiao-jia Ren
Keyword(s):  
Male Sterility ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Meiotic Drive ◽  
Repeated Sequence ◽  
Meiotic Pairing ◽  
Intergenic Spacers ◽  
Male Specific ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Novel Model

Abstract In Drosophila melanogaster, deletions of the pericentromeric X heterochromatin cause X-Y nondisjunction, reduced male fertility and distorted sperm recovery ratios (meiotic drive) in combination with a normal Y chromosome and interact with Y-autosome translocations (T(Y;A)) to cause complete male sterility. The pericentromeric heterochromatin has been shown to contain the male-specific X-Y meiotic pairing sites, which consist mostly of a 240-bp repeated sequence in the intergenic spacers (IGS) of the rDNA repeats. The experiments in this paper address the relationship between X-Y pairing failure and the meiotic drive and sterility effects of Xh deletions. X-linked insertions either of complete rDNA repeats or of rDNA fragments that contain the IGS were found to suppress X-Y nondisjunction and meiotic drive in Xh−/Y males, and to restore fertility to Xh−/T(Y;A) males for eight of nine tested Y-autosome translocations. rDNA fragments devoid of IGS repeats proved incapable of suppressing either meiotic drive or chromosomal sterility. These results indicate that the various spermatogenic disruptions associated with X heterochromatic deletions are all consequences of X-Y pairing failure. We interpret these findings in terms of a novel model in which misalignment of chromosomes triggers a checkpoint that acts by disabling the spermatids that derive from affected spermatocytes.

scholarly journals Telomere-to-telomere assembly of a fish Y chromosome reveals the origin of a young sex chromosome pair

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingzhan Xue ◽  
Yu Gao ◽  
Meiying Wu ◽  
Tian Tian ◽  
Haiping Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Y Chromosome ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Chromosome Pair ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Structural Variations ◽  
Recombination Suppression ◽  
Chromosome Differentiation ◽  
Y Chromosomes ◽  
Recent Origin ◽  
Mastacembelus Armatus

Abstract Background The origin of sex chromosomes requires the establishment of recombination suppression between the proto-sex chromosomes. In many fish species, the sex chromosome pair is homomorphic with a recent origin, providing species for studying how and why recombination suppression evolved in the initial stages of sex chromosome differentiation, but this requires accurate sequence assembly of the X and Y (or Z and W) chromosomes, which may be difficult if they are recently diverged. Results Here we produce a haplotype-resolved genome assembly of zig-zag eel (Mastacembelus armatus), an aquaculture fish, at the chromosomal scale. The diploid assembly is nearly gap-free, and in most chromosomes, we resolve the centromeric and subtelomeric heterochromatic sequences. In particular, the Y chromosome, including its highly repetitive short arm, has zero gaps. Using resequencing data, we identify a ~7 Mb fully sex-linked region (SLR), spanning the sex chromosome centromere and almost entirely embedded in the pericentromeric heterochromatin. The SLRs on the X and Y chromosomes are almost identical in sequence and gene content, but both are repetitive and heterochromatic, consistent with zero or low recombination. We further identify an HMG-domain containing gene HMGN6 in the SLR as a candidate sex-determining gene that is expressed at the onset of testis development. Conclusions Our study supports the idea that preexisting regions of low recombination, such as pericentromeric regions, can give rise to SLR in the absence of structural variations between the proto-sex chromosomes.

scholarly journals Differences in recombination frequencies during female and male meioses of the sex chromosomes of the medaka, Oryzias latipes

2001 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARIKO KONDO ◽  
ERIKO NAGAO ◽  
HIROSHI MITANI ◽  
AKIHIRO SHIMA
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Map ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Oryzias Latipes ◽  
Male Recombination ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Y Chromosomes ◽  
Genetic Length ◽  
Expressed Sequence ◽  
Group 1

In the medaka, Oryzias latipes, sex is determined chromosomally. The sex chromosomes differ from those of mammals in that the X and Y chromosomes are highly homologous. Using backcross panels for linkage analysis, we mapped 21 sequence tagged site (STS) markers on the sex chromosomes (linkage group 1). The genetic map of the sex chromosome was established using male and female meioses. The genetic length of the sex chromosome was shorter in male than in female meioses. The region where male recombination is suppressed is the region close to the sex-determining gene y, while female recombination was suppressed in both the telomeric regions. The restriction in recombination does not occur uniformly on the sex chromosome, as the genetic map distances of the markers are not proportional in male and female recombination. Thus, this observation seems to support the hypothesis that the heterogeneous sex chromosomes were derived from suppression of recombination between autosomal chromosomes. In two of the markers, Yc-2 and Casp6, which were expressed sequence-tagged (EST) sites, polymorphisms of both X and Y chromosomes were detected. The alleles of the X and Y chromosomes were also detected in O. curvinotus, a species related to the medaka. These markers could be used for genotyping the sex chromosomes in the medaka and other species, and could be used in other studies on sex chromosomes.

scholarly journals Genetic sex determination and sex-specific lifespan in tetrapods – evidence of a toxic Y effect

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahida Sultanova ◽  
Philip A. Downing ◽  
Pau Carazo
Keyword(s):  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
Z Chromosome ◽  
W Chromosome ◽  
Deleterious Mutations ◽  
Recessive Mutations ◽  
Y Chromosomes ◽  
Heterogametic Sex ◽  
Taxonomic Patterns

ABSTRACTSex-specific lifespans are ubiquitous across the tree of life and exhibit broad taxonomic patterns that remain a puzzle, such as males living longer than females in birds and vice versa in mammals. The prevailing “unguarded-X” hypothesis (UXh) explains this by differential expression of recessive mutations in the X/Z chromosome of the heterogametic sex (e.g., females in birds and males in mammals), but has only received indirect support to date. An alternative hypothesis is that the accumulation of deleterious mutations and repetitive elements on the Y/W chromosome might lower the survival of the heterogametic sex (“toxic Y” hypothesis). Here, we report lower survival of the heterogametic relative to the homogametic sex across 138 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, as expected if sex chromosomes shape sex-specific lifespans. We then analysed bird and mammal karyotypes and found that the relative sizes of the X and Z chromosomes are not associated with sex-specific lifespans, contrary to UXh predictions. In contrast, we found that Y size correlates negatively with male survival in mammals, where toxic Y effects are expected to be particularly strong. This suggests that small Y chromosomes benefit male lifespans. Our results confirm the role of sex chromosomes in explaining sex differences in lifespan, but indicate that, at least in mammals, this is better explained by “toxic Y” rather than UXh effects.

scholarly journals The probability of fusions joining sex chromosomes and autosomes

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 20200648
Author(s):  
Nathan W. Anderson ◽  
Carl E. Hjelmen ◽  
Heath Blackmon
Keyword(s):  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Null Model ◽  
Closed Form Expression ◽  
Sexual Antagonism ◽  
Form Expression ◽  
Chromosome Fusion ◽  
Sex Chromosome System ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Heterogametic Sex

Chromosome fusion and fission are primary mechanisms of karyotype evolution. In particular, the fusion of a sex chromosome and an autosome has been proposed as a mechanism to resolve intralocus sexual antagonism. If sexual antagonism is common throughout the genome, we should expect to see an excess of fusions that join sex chromosomes and autosomes. Here, we present a null model that provides the probability of a sex chromosome autosome fusion, assuming all chromosomes have an equal probability of being involved in a fusion. This closed-form expression is applicable to both male and female heterogametic sex chromosome systems and can accommodate unequal proportions of fusions originating in males and females. We find that over 25% of all chromosomal fusions are expected to join a sex chromosome and an autosome whenever the diploid autosome count is fewer than 16, regardless of the sex chromosome system. We also demonstrate the utility of our model by analysing two contrasting empirical datasets: one from Drosophila and one from the jumping spider genus Habronattus . We find that in the case of Habronattus , there is a significant excess of sex chromosome autosome fusions but that in Drosophila there are far fewer sex chromosome autosome fusions than would be expected under our null model.

Polymorphism and differentiation of rainbow trout Y chromosomes

Genome ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 1105-1113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Felip ◽  
Atushi Fujiwara ◽  
William P Young ◽  
Paul A Wheeler ◽  
Marc Noakes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Y Chromosome ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Morphological Differentiation ◽  
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus Mykiss ◽  
Y Chromosomes ◽  
Cytogenetic Analyses ◽  
Clonal Lines ◽  
Sex Locus

Most fish species show little morphological differentiation in the sex chromosomes. We have coupled molecular and cytogenetic analyses to characterize the male-determining region of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Y chromosome. Four genetically diverse male clonal lines of this species were used for genetic and physical mapping of regions in the vicinity of the sex locus. Five markers were genetically mapped to the Y chromosome in these male lines, indicating that the sex locus was located on the same linkage group in each of the lines. We also confirmed the presence of a Y chromosome morphological polymorphism among these lines, with the Y chromosomes from two of the lines having the more common heteromorphic Y chromosome and two of the lines having Y chromosomes morphologically similar to the X chromosome. The fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) pattern of two probes linked to sex suggested that the sex locus is physically located on the long arm of the Y chromosome. Fishes appear to be an excellent group of organisms for studying sex chromosome evolution and differentiation in vertebrates because they show considerable variability in the mechanisms and (or) patterns involved in sex determination.Key words: sex chromosomes, sex markers, cytogenetics, rainbow trout, fish.

scholarly journals The effect of an unusual chromosome architecture on disjunction and non-disjunction in Drosophila

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Falk
Keyword(s):  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Architecture ◽  
Preferential Segregation ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Unusual Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Disjunction

SUMMARYTwo homologous autosomes of Drosophila that were attached to form a single entire compound autosome II were found to affect the segregation of the sex chromosomes in both males and females. The compound segregated nearly always from an attached X . Y chromosome in males with no other sex chromosome. When two sex chromosomes were present together with the compound they differed in their tendency to segregate from the compound. In males the X . Y chromosome segregated more often from the compound than did the Y chromosome, and the Y chromosome segregated more often from the compound than did the regular X chromosome. In females the X . Y segregated more often from the compound than did the regular X chromosome. This preferential segregation in females was observed for exchange X chromosomes as well as for the non-exchange chromosomes.In the presence of the compound the frequency of primary non-disjunction of the sex chromosomes was elevated in both females and males; usually both sex chromosomes segregated from the compound and only rarely with it.Flies devoid of most of the proximal heterochromatin of the sex chromosomes die. However, when the compound autosome was present some such flies survived. This indicates that a segment of the proximal heterochromatin of the sex chromosomes was intercalated into the compound when it was constructed. It was concluded that the segment intercalated into the compound carries specific sites for sex chromosome disjunction. Specific sites determine sex chromosome disjunction in males. In females they determine the disjunction of the sex chromosomes in cooperation with exchange pairing.

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