<i>Aplf/Dna2</i> variants drive chromosomal fission and accelerate speciation in zokors.

ABSTRACT: Chromosomal fissions and fusions are common, yet the molecular mechanisms and implications in speciation remain poorly understood. Here, we confirm a fission event in one zokor species through multiple-omics and functional analyses. We traced this event to a mutation in a splicing enhancer of the DNA repair gene Aplf in the fission-bearing species, which caused exon skipping and produced a truncated protein that disrupted DNA repair. An intronic deletion in Dna2, known to facilitate neo-telomere formation when knocked out, reduced gene activity. These variants collectively drove chromosomal fission in this zokor species. The newly formed chromosome became fixed due to carrying essential genes and strong selective pressure. While geographic isolation likely initiated the diver

SUBMITTER: Wan N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12412657 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature