DNA methylation and genetic degeneration of the Y chromosome in the dioecious plant Silene latifolia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

S. latifolia is a model organism for the study of sex chromosome evolution in plants. Its sex chromosomes include large regions in which recombination became gradually suppressed. The regions tend to expand over time resulting in the formation of evolutionary strata. Non-recombination and later accumulation of repetitive sequences is a putative cause of the size increase in the Y chromosome. Gene decay and accumulation of repetitive DNA are identified as key evolutionary events. Transposons in the X and Y chromosomes are distributed differently and there is a regulation of transposon insertion by DNA methylation of the target sequences, this points to an important role of DNA methylation during sex chromosome evolution in Silene latifolia. The aim of this study was to el

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez Lorenzo JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6048894 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature