Comparative Transcriptomics of Malaria Mosquito Testes: Function, Evolution, and Linkage.
Testes-biased genes evolve rapidly and are important in the establishment, solidification, and maintenance of reproductive isolation between incipient species. TheAnopheles gambiaecomplex, a group of at least eight isomorphic mosquito species endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa, is an excellent system to explore the evolution of testes-biased genes. Within this group, the testes are an important tissue in the diversification process because hybridization between species results in sterile hybrid males, but fully fertile females. We conducted RNA sequencing ofA. gambiaeandA. meruscarcass and testes to explore tissue- and species-specific patterns of gene expression. Our data provides support for transcriptional repression of X-linked genes in the male germline, which likely drives demasculinization of the X chromosome. Testes-biased genes predominately function in cellular differentiation and show a number of interesting patterns indicative of their rapid evolution, including elevateddN/dSvalues, low evolutionary conservation, poor annotation in existing reference genomes, and a high likelihood of differential expression between species.
Department of Biology, Brandon University, Manitoba R7A 6A9, Canada cassoneb@brandonu.ca bradwhite@google.com.
Bryan J
BJ
Cassone
Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521.|Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, University of California, Riverside, California 92521.
Raissa G G
RG
Kay
Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521.
Matthew P
MP
Daugherty
Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521 cassoneb@brandonu.ca bradwhite@google.com.
Bradley J
BJ
White
D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000235:genetics*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018628:Gene Dosage; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017344:Genes, Insect; D050172:Genes, X-Linked; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D008288:Malaria / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000235:genetics; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000235:genetics
D012333:RNA, Messenger
Anopheles; RNA sequencing; X-linked; demasculinization