Premium
Masculinization of gene expression is associated with male quality in Drosophila melanogaster
Author(s) -
Dean Rebecca,
Hammer Camille,
Higham Vanessa,
Dowling Damian K.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/evo.13618
Subject(s) - biology , drosophila melanogaster , genetics , sexual selection , transcriptome , gene , evolutionary biology , phenotype , population , genetic variation , selection (genetic algorithm) , gene expression , demography , sociology , artificial intelligence , computer science
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.