title: Dosage Compensation and the Distribution of Sex-Biased Gene Expression in Drosophila: Considerations and Genomic Constraints.
abstract: Several studies in Drosophila have shown a paucity of male-biased genes (i.e., genes that express higher in males than in females) on the X chromosome. Dosage compensation (DC) is a regulatory mechanism of gene expression triggered in males that hypertranscribes the X-linked genes to the level of transcription in females. There are currently two different hypotheses about the effects of DC on the distribution of male-biased genes: (1) it might limit male-expression level, or (2) it might interfere with the male upregulation of gene expression. Here, we used previously published gene expression datasets to reevaluate both hypotheses and introduce a mutually exclusive prediction that helped us to reject the hypothesis that the paucity of male-biased genes in the X chromosome is due to a limit in the male-expression level. Our analysis also uncovers unanticipated details about how DC interferes with the genomic distribution of both, male-biased and female-biased genes. We suggest that DC actually interferes with female downregulation of gene expression and not male upregulation, as previously suggested.
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna (CIBIV), Max F Perutz Laboratories (MFPL), University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohrgasse 9, 1030, Vienna, Austria. miguel.gallach@univie.ac.at.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallach
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, USA.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Betrán
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D017344:Genes, Insect; D050172:Genes, X-Linked / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D012730:Sex Chromosomes; D012737:Sex Factors; D014960:X Chromosome
keywords: Dosage compensation; Drosophila; Sex-biased gene expression; X chromosome