Reproductive Mode and the Evolution of Genome Size and Structure in Caenorhabditis Nematodes.

ABSTRACT: The self-fertile nematode worms Caenorhabditis elegans, C. briggsae, and C. tropicalis evolved independently from outcrossing male-female ancestors and have genomes 20-40% smaller than closely related outcrossing relatives. This pattern of smaller genomes for selfing species and larger genomes for closely related outcrossing species is also seen in plants. We use comparative genomics, including the first high quality genome assembly for an outcrossing member of the genus (C. remanei) to test several hypotheses for the evolution of genome reduction under a change in mating system. Unlike plants, it does not appear that reductions in the number of repetitive elements, such as transposable elements, are an important contributor to the change in genome size. Instead, all functional genomic cat

SUBMITTER: Fierst JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4482642 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature