Genetic degeneration of old and young Y chromosomes in the flowering plant Rumex hastatulus.

ABSTRACT: Heteromorphic sex chromosomes have originated independently in many species, and a common feature of their evolution is the degeneration of the Y chromosome, characterized by a loss of gene content and function. Despite being of broad significance to our understanding of sex chromosome evolution, the genetic changes that occur during the early stages of Y-chromosome degeneration are poorly understood, especially in plants. Here, we investigate sex chromosome evolution in the dioecious plant Rumex hastatulus, in which X and Y chromosomes have evolved relatively recently and occur in two distinct systems: an ancestral XX/XY system and a derived XX/XY1Y2 system. This polymorphism provides a unique opportunity to investigate the effect of sex chromosome age on patterns of divergence and gene d

SUBMITTER: Hough J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4040613 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature