Sex-biased expression between guppies varying in the presence of ornamental coloration.

ABSTRACT: Sex-biased gene expression provides a means to achieve sexual dimorphism across a genome largely shared by both sexes. Trinidadian guppies are ideal to examine questions of sex-bias as they exhibit sexual dimorphism in ornamental coloration with male only expression. Here we use RNA-sequencing to quantify whole transcriptome gene expression differences, with a focus on differential expression of color genes between the sexes. We determine whether males express genes positively correlated with coloration at higher levels than females. We find that all the differentially expressed color genes were more highly expressed by males. Males also expressed all known black melanin synthesis genes at higher levels than females, regardless of whether the gene was significantly differentially expressed

SUBMITTER: Dick C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6186404 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature