Work

Inversions are bigger on the X chromosome

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: In many insects, X-linked inversions fix at a higher rate and are much less polymorphic than autosomal inversions. Here, we report that in Drosophila, X-linked inversions also capture 67% more genes. We estimated the number of genes captured through an approximate Bayesian computational analysis of gene orders in nine species of Drosophila. X-linked inversions fixed with a significantly larger gene content. Further, X-linked inversions of intermediate size enjoy highest fixation rate, while the fixation rate of autosomal inversions decreases with size. A less detailed analysis in Anopheles suggests a similar pattern holds in mosquitoes. We develop a population genetic model that assumes the fitness effects of inversions scale with the number of genes captured. We show that the same conditions that lead to a higher fixation rate also produce a larger size for inversions on the X.

Source: Molecular Ecology

DOI: 10.1111/mec.14819

Authors: Changde Cheng, Mark Kirkpatrick

Institution: The University of Texas at Austin

Language: English

Topic: Evolution and Genetic Dynamics

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Science Foundation, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Awards: The evolutionary genomics of recombining sex chromosomes, Genomic causes and consequences of sexually antagonistic selection