Rapid and dynamic evolution of a giant Y chromosome in Silene latifolia
We aimed to reveal the evolutionary process to establish a giant Y chromosome in Silene latifolia, which has been studied as a model for the sex chromosome evolution for 100 years. Based on multi-aspects results, including comparative genome data in two species (dioecious S. latifolia and gynodioecious S. vulgaris), transcriptome, DNA methylome data, and histone modification, we uncovered genomic contexts of X/Y chromosomes and identified candidate Y-encoded sex-determining genes. We further related these results to theoretical models for the evolution of Y-linked regions.