Deleterious Mutation Accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana Pollen Genes: A Role for a Recent Relaxation of Selection.

ABSTRACT: In many studies, sex-related genes have been found to evolve rapidly. We therefore expect plant pollen genes to evolve faster than sporophytic genes. In addition, pollen genes are expressed as haploids which can itself facilitate rapid evolution because recessive advantageous and deleterious alleles are not masked by dominant alleles. However, this mechanism is less straightforward to apply in the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. For 1 Myr, A. thaliana has been self-compatible, a life history switch that has caused: a reduction in pollen competition, increased homozygosity, and a dilution of masking in diploid expressed, sporophytic genes. In this study, we have investigated the relative strength of selection on pollen genes compared with sporophytic genes in A. thaliana. We prese

SUBMITTER: Harrison MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6640295 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature