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Masculinization of gene expression is associated with male quality in Drosophila melanogaster

Dean, R; Hammer, C; Higham, V; Dowling, D; (2018) Masculinization of gene expression is associated with male quality in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution , 72 (12) pp. 2736-2748. 10.1111/evo.13618. Green open access

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Abstract

The signature of sexual selection has been revealed through the study of differences in patterns of genome‐wide gene expression, both between the sexes and between alternative reproductive morphs within a single sex. What remains unclear, however, is whether differences in gene expression patterns between individuals of a given sex consistently map to variation in individual quality. Such a pattern, particularly if found in males, would provide unambiguous evidence that the phenotypic response to sexual selection is shaped through sex‐specific alterations to the transcriptome. To redress this knowledge gap, we explored whether patterns of sex‐biased gene expression are associated with variation in male reproductive quality in Drosophila melanogaster. We measured two male reproductive phenotypes, and their association with sex‐biased gene expression, across a selection of inbred lines from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel. Genotypes with higher expression of male‐biased genes produced males exhibiting shorter latencies to copulation, and higher capacity to inseminate females. Conversely, female‐biased genes tended to show negative associations with these male reproductive traits across genotypes. We uncovered similar patterns, by reanalyzing a published dataset from a second D. melanogaster population. Our results reveal the footprint of sexual selection in masculinising the male transcriptome.

Type: Article
Title: Masculinization of gene expression is associated with male quality in Drosophila melanogaster
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1111/evo.13618
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.13618
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: DGRP, sex-biased genes, sexual selection, gene expression, sexual conflict
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10071635
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