Getting a full dose? Reconsidering sex chromosome dosage compensation in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

ABSTRACT: Dosage compensation--equalizing gene expression levels in response to differences in gene dose or copy number--is classically considered to play a critical role in the evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes. As the X and Y diverge through degradation and gene loss on the Y (or the W in female-heterogametic ZW taxa), it is expected that dosage compensation will evolve to correct for sex-specific differences in gene dose. Although this is observed in some organisms, recent genome-wide expression studies in other taxa have revealed striking exceptions. In particular, reports that both birds and the silkworm moth (Bombyx mori) lack dosage compensation have spurred speculation that this is the rule for all female-heterogametic taxa. Here, we revisit the issue of dosage compensation in silkw

SUBMITTER: Walters JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3296447 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature