Two Forms of Sexual Dimorphism in Gene Expression in Drosophila melanogaster: Their Coincidence and Evolutionary Genetics.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic sexual dimorphism can be mediated by sex differences in gene expression. We examine two forms of sexual dimorphism in gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster: 1) sex-biased gene expression (SBGE) in which the sexes differ in the amount a gene is expressed and 2) sexual dimorphism in isoform usage, that is, sex-specific splicing (SSS). In whole body (but not the head) expression, we find a negative association between SBGE and SSS, possibly suggesting that these are alternate routes to resolving sexual antagonistic selection. Next, we evaluate whether expression dimorphism contributes to the heterogeneity among genes in rmf, the intersexual genetic correlation in body expression that constrains the extent to which a gene's expression can evolve independently between the sexes.

SUBMITTER: Singh A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10162685 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature