Evolutionary Analyses of Gene Expression Divergence in Panicum hallii: Exploring Constitutive and Plastic Responses Using Reciprocal Transplants.

ABSTRACT: The evolution of gene expression is thought to be an important mechanism of local adaptation and ecological speciation. Gene expression divergence occurs through the evolution of cis- polymorphisms and through more widespread effects driven by trans-regulatory factors. Here, we explore expression and sequence divergence in a large sample of Panicum hallii accessions encompassing the species range using a reciprocal transplantation experiment. We observed widespread genotype and transplant site drivers of expression divergence, with a limited number of genes exhibiting genotype-by-site interactions. We used a modified FST-QST outlier approach (QPC analysis) to detect local adaptation. We identified 514 genes with constitutive expression divergence above and beyond the levels expected under

SUBMITTER: Bhaskara GB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10556983 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature