Sexually dimorphic gene expression and transcriptome evolution provide mixed evidence for a fast-Z effect in Heliconius.

ABSTRACT: Sex chromosomes have different evolutionary properties compared to autosomes due to their hemizygous nature. In particular, recessive mutations are more readily exposed to selection, which can lead to faster rates of molecular evolution. Here, we report patterns of gene expression and molecular evolution for a group of butterflies. First, we improve the completeness of the Heliconius melpomene reference annotation, a neotropical butterfly with a ZW sex determination system. Then, we analyse RNA from male and female whole abdomens and sequence female ovary and gut tissue to identify sex- and tissue-specific gene expression profiles in H. melpomene. Using these expression profiles, we compare (a) sequence divergence and polymorphism; (b) the strength of positive and negative selection; and (

SUBMITTER: Pinharanda A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6850379 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature