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Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Title:		Genetic and epigenetic architecture of sex-biased expression in the jewel wasps Nasonia vitripennis and giraulti
Author(s):		Wang X; Werren JH; Clark AG;
Address:		"Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; Cornell Center for Comparative and Population Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627 ac347@cornell.edu jack.werren@rochester.edu. Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; Cornell Center for Comparative and Population Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; ac347@cornell.edu jack.werren@rochester.edu"
Journal Title:		Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Year:		2015
Volume:		20150622
Issue:		27
Page Number:		E3545 - E3554
DOI:		10.1073/pnas.1510338112
ISSN/ISBN:		1091-6490 (Electronic) 0027-8424 (Print) 0027-8424 (Linking)
Abstract:		"There is extraordinary diversity in sexual dimorphism (SD) among animals, but little is known about its epigenetic basis. To study the epigenetic architecture of SD in a haplodiploid system, we performed RNA-seq and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of adult females and males from two closely related parasitoid wasps, Nasonia vitripennis and Nasonia giraulti. More than 75% of expressed genes displayed significantly sex-biased expression. As a consequence, expression profiles are more similar between species within each sex than between sexes within each species. Furthermore, extremely male- and female-biased genes are enriched for totally different functional categories: male-biased genes for key enzymes in sex-pheromone synthesis and female-biased genes for genes involved in epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Remarkably, just 70 highly expressed, extremely male-biased genes account for 10% of all transcripts in adult males. Unlike expression profiles, DNA methylomes are highly similar between sexes within species, with no consistent sex differences in methylation found. Therefore, methylation changes cannot explain the extensive level of sex-biased gene expression observed. Female-biased genes have smaller sequence divergence between species, higher conservation to other hymenopterans, and a broader expression range across development. Overall, female-biased genes have been recruited from genes with more conserved and broadly expressing 'house-keeping' functions, whereas male-biased genes are more recently evolved and are predominately testis specific. In summary, Nasonia accomplish a striking degree of sex-biased expression without sex chromosomes or epigenetic differences in methylation. We propose that methylation provides a general signal for constitutive gene expression, whereas other sex-specific signals cause sex-biased gene expression"
Keywords:		"Animals Chromosome Mapping Chromosomes, Insect/genetics Cluster Analysis *DNA Methylation *Epigenesis, Genetic Evolution, Molecular Female Genes, Insect/genetics Insect Proteins/classification/genetics Male Phylogeny Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain;"
Notes:		"MedlineWang, Xu Werren, John H Clark, Andrew G eng R01 GM064590/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ R01 GM098667/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ R01 GM64590/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2015/06/24 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Jul 7; 112(27):E3545-54. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1510338112. Epub 2015 Jun 22"