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Signatures of selection and sex‐specific expression variation of a novel duplicate during the evolution of the Drosophila desaturase gene family
Author(s) -
KEAYS MARIA C.,
BARKER DANIEL,
WICKERTHOMAS CLAUDE,
RITCHIE MICHAEL G.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05208.x
Subject(s) - biology , reproductive isolation , concerted evolution , gene duplication , genetics , gene , locus (genetics) , evolutionary biology , rate of evolution , adaptation (eye) , gene family , molecular evolution , selection (genetic algorithm) , negative selection , genetic variation , ecological selection , phylogenetics , gene expression , genome , population , demography , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , sociology , computer science
Abstract The tempo and mode of evolution of loci with a large effect on adaptation and reproductive isolation will influence the rate of evolutionary divergence and speciation. Desaturase loci are involved in key biochemical changes in long‐chain fatty acids. In insects, these have been shown to influence adaptation to starvation or desiccation resistance and in some cases act as important pheromones. The desaturase gene family of Drosophila is known to have evolved by gene duplication and diversification, and at least one locus shows rapid evolution of sex‐specific expression variation. Here, we examine the evolution of the gene family in species representing the Drosophila phylogeny. We find that the family includes more loci than have been previously described. Most are represented as single‐copy loci, but we also find additional examples of duplications in loci which influence pheromone blends. Most loci show patterns of variation associated with purifying selection, but there are strong signatures of diversifying selection in new duplicates. In the case of a new duplicate of desat1 in the obscura group species, we show that strong selection on the coding sequence is associated with the evolution of sex‐specific expression variation. It seems likely that both sexual selection and ecological adaptation have influenced the evolution of this gene family in Drosophila .