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Molecular evolution of the meiotic recombination pathway in mammals
Author(s) -
Dapper Amy L.,
Payseur Bret A.
Publication year - 2019
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.13850
Subject(s) - biology , recombination , chromosomal crossover , meiosis , crossover , evolutionary biology , ectopic recombination , homologous recombination , adaptation (eye) , genetics , synaptonemal complex , molecular evolution , selection (genetic algorithm) , functional divergence , phylogenetics , experimental evolution , genetic recombination , divergence (linguistics) , genome , gene , gene family , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , computer science , linguistics , philosophy
Abstract Meiotic recombination shapes evolution and helps to ensure proper chromosome segregation in most species that reproduce sexually. Recombination itself evolves, with species showing considerable divergence in the rate of crossing‐over. However, the genetic basis of this divergence is poorly understood. Recombination events are produced via a complicated, but increasingly well‐described, cellular pathway. We apply a phylogenetic comparative approach to a carefully selected panel of genes involved in the processes leading to crossovers—spanning double‐strand break formation, strand invasion, the crossover/non‐crossover decision, and resolution—to reconstruct the evolution of the recombination pathway in eutherian mammals and identify components of the pathway likely to contribute to divergence between species. Eleven recombination genes, predominantly involved in the stabilization of homologous pairing and the crossover/non‐crossover decision, show evidence of rapid evolution and positive selection across mammals. We highlight TEX11 and associated genes involved in the synaptonemal complex and the early stages of the crossover/non‐crossover decision as candidates for the evolution of recombination rate. Evolutionary comparisons to MLH1 count, a surrogate for the number of crossovers, reveal a positive correlation between genome‐wide recombination rate and the rate of evolution at TEX11 across the mammalian phylogeny. Our results illustrate the power of viewing the evolution of recombination from a pathway perspective.

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